Ohio Official Refuses Interview Over Vote - What Is He Hiding?

[Jon8503]

Monday December 27, 2004 11:46 PM
By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
AP Statehouse Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell has requested a protective order to prevent him from being interviewed as part of an unusual court challenge of the presidential vote.

Blackwell, in a court filing, says he's not required to be interviewed by lawyers as a high-ranking public official, and accused the voters challenging the results of ``frivolous conduct'' and abusive and unnecessary requests of elections officials around the state.

Citing fraud, 37 people who voted for president Nov. 2 have challenged the election results with the Ohio Supreme Court. The voters refer to irregularities including long lines, a shortage of voting machines in minority precincts and problems with computer equipment.

President Bush defeated John Kerry by 119,000 votes, according to the official count by Blackwell. Ohio's 20 electoral votes gave Bush the 270 he needed for victory. Kerry conceded the morning after Election Day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4696816,00.html

[dbt]

1. Dusting off a gem from the Clinton Hunt:

"If there's this much smoke, there's got to be a fire somewhere."

:evilgrin:
dbt

[acmavm]

2. Amazing to see the incredible hypocrisy of the republican party at

work. Here's a man who is hiding probable evidence of disenfranchisement and illegal behavior and he's claiming he's too important to testify whereas a sitting president who does something personal (which I thought was stupid but didn't give a damn about because it didn't affect me in the slightest) and he has to be paraded in front of the world and humiliated.

This is just so bizarre.

[Historic NY]

3. I don't get it, he is a public servant accountable to the public....

I would say that perhaps a grand jury will be the next order of business, followed by impeachment, conviction and incarceration.

[grumpy old fart]

4. "interviewed"?

If he's questioned by lawyers in the course of a lawsuit it's a "deposition", and it's under oath. That's the place where it becomes perjury to lie. That's also where the crooks who get backed into a corner take the 5th, and end their careers.

[tgnyc]

5. What an incredible Uncle Tom

As a black man, I am continually disgusted by this man's actions. That an African-American could be so blatantly involved in disempowering any group of citizens, particularly a disproportionately black group, is disgraceful.