Posted on 10/03/2008 4:45:06 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
An official with the Republican National Committee said Thursday that a group involved with voter registration drives in Milwaukee is “engaged in systematic fraud and attempts to undermine our electoral system.”
The comments came from Sean Cairncross, the party’s chief lawyer, during a conference call with reporters in the wake of a report that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) had hired at least seven felons as voter registration workers in the city.
The Journal Sentinel has reported on problems with voter registration cards submitted to the city by workers for the group and another liberal group, the Community Voters Project.
The newspaper reported on similar registration problems in 2004, which led to charges against some voter registration workers, as well as state reforms that bar groups from paying workers based on the number of signatures collected.
So far this year, Milwaukee election officials have referred to the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office 49 cases of people who submitted potentially fraudulent registration cards. In some cases, the groups flagged the problems for the city.
On Monday, a 21-year-old Community Voters Project worker became the first person charged with voter fraud in the matter. Authorities say they expect more charges, but note that charges will not be filed in all cases cited by the city.
This week, the Associated Press reported that ACORN had hired as voter registration workers in Milwaukee at least seven felons convicted of crimes including cocaine possession and robbery.
Carolyn Castore, state political director for the group, told the AP: “We have a lot of folks with felony records and, frankly, they need jobs.”
The staff of the state Government Accountability Board issued an opinion April 3 that convicted felons are not allowed to serve as registration workers.
The City of Milwaukee elections office was unaware of the opinion and interpreted state law in the area to apply only to those felons still on probation or parole.
ACORN interpreted the law the same way, Castore told the AP. Nowhere in materials provided by state election officials did it say that felons were barred from registering voters, she said.
The city will change its procedures, officials told the AP.
It is unclear if any of the seven felons are among the 49 individuals already referred to authorities.
In a statement, state Democratic Party chairman Joe Wineke accused Republicans of “fabricating stories about widespread voter fraud in attempts to scare voters and divert attention away from the financial crisis that marks the final verdict on the disastrous Bush-McCain economic policies.”
In the conference call, Cairncross cited other examples around the country where ACORN and its workers have faced investigations.
Boy, I'm shocked to hear of all this voter fraud by ACORN. The best way to take care of this problem is to declare voter fraud an ACT OF TREASON.
Remember. Your vote is very “sacred” and “important.” ROTFLMAO! Yeah right! The whole gig has become a joke (on us).
I’m still going to vote and work my 12+ hours at my local polling place on Election Day.
And you? The ONLY thing that stands between you and me and these b@stards is OUR boots on the ground.
Promise me you’ll do something? :)
The new Communist party (formally Democrats, graduated to Socialist and now full fledged Communists) in action. God help us if the totally rule America.
Obama needs to take a Hit on all this voter fraud.
What good is all that money I send to the RNC if they don't use it to stop the lib wack-a-doodles.
It appears that ACORN is a de facto RICO organization. Which federal agency is falling down on the job?
Here’s what pisses me off. George Bush has only 3 more months in office. He could send the DOJ in and shut these people down with NO political repercussions. Yet he won’t do it.
Bookmarked.
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