Ohio GOP gives state elections contract to Blackwell crony (Schiavo Atty!)

[farmbo]

The GOP-run Ohio Controlling Board yesterday awarded a $65,000 no bid contract to defend Ohio in upcoming elections lawsuits to Washington Law Professor Robert Destro, a lawyer best known for representing Teri Schiavo's parents in the 2005 challenge to a Florida court's right-to-die order. Destro has no discernible elections law experience, but is a longtime Blackwell supporter who mysteriously admits to having been in Blackwell's office on the night of the disputed 2004 presidential election..

http://ohiosenatedems.com/pr2006/8-28-blackwell.html

State Senator Ray Miller (D-Columbus) voted against the contract and questioned why Robert Destro, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a contract by Secretary Ken Blackwell to litigate elections lawsuits filed against Secretary Blackwell, but does not appear to have expertise in elections cases.

A representative from the Ohio Attorney General office testified before the Board today that Secretary Blackwell personally recommended Destro who has contributed money to Blackwell’s campaign in 2005.

“ Everything from Destro’s biography indicates he has no election law experience,” said Senator Miller. “Ohio’s citizenry and frankly many states across the country are losing confidence in Ohio’s elections system. My constituents question whether Ohio can even have a fair election. With that said, we should be getting the most qualified individual in the state and I don’t believe that is the case since by all appearances this is a friend of Ken Blackwell’s, not a qualified elections attorney to fend off Ohio’s elections lawsuits. It concerns me greatly that his area of expertise is not even in the same realm of election law- it deals with social, marriage and recently anti-gay marriage issues.”<snip>

Destro has also bragged to supporters that he was in Blackwell's office as election returns streamed in on November 2, 2004.

http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042905Fitrakis/042905fitrakis.html

<snip> Free Press reporter was present when Professor Robert Destro, Dean of Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America, detailed Blackwell’s Election Day activities at a Lenten presentation. Destro, who claimed to be in the secretary of state’s office election night, described Blackwell as “panicky.” He told the audience that Blackwell believed early in the evening that Bush was losing Ohio. Figuring Bush had lost the city of Cleveland, Blackwell “began to plot out with colored magic markers possible voter turnout in suburban counties.”

Destro relayed the story as a supporter of Blackwell, yet never questioned why Ohio’s top election officer would be focusing his energies on Election Day towards getting President Bush elected, while chaos reigned throughout Ohio’s inner city polling places.

In March 2004, Blackwell had issued a release celebrating the fact that the secretary of state’s office for the first time had the capacity for instant data exchange with the county boards of elections. <snip>

Destro's first task may be to direct Blackwell's frantic effort to destroy the ballots, backup discs and poll books from the 2004 election, which he has scheduled for destruction September 2nd.

[OzarkDem]

1. Ohio taxpayers pick up the tab, too

The GOP is just one massive crime syndicate.

[warrens]

2. He's REALLY getting desperate

Who cares about appearances, legality or anything else when you're down by 20 points. Or is it 30?