Verdict Is In: Two Ohio Workers Found Guilty Of Rigging Vote Recount In 2004 (X POST)

[kster]

POSTED BY : orleans

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x30401

Verdict Is In: Two Ohio Workers Found Guilty Of Rigging Vote Recount In 2004
well well well....

FINALLY! GUILTY! (but we already knew that)

yesterday: "CLEVELAND (AP) -- A jury on Tuesday started to decide whether three election workers in the state's most populous county illegally rigged what was supposed to be a random sample recount in the 2004 presidential election to avoid a time-consuming hand count of all votes.

http://wcpo.com/news/2007/local/01/23/oh_elections.html

today:
"CLEVELAND - Two election workers in the state's most populous county were convicted Wednesday of illegally rigging the 2004 presidential election recount so they could avoid a more thorough review of the votes."

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/16536269.htm

i can't help it--i'm on the verge of tears

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x30401

[brettdale]

1. WHY THE FUCK ISNT THIS BREAKING NEWS ALL OVER THE STATES

WHY THE FUCK ISN'T THIS BREAKING NEWS ALL OVER THE STATES.


IM BETTING NO ONE WILL REPORT THIS.

[MADem]

3. Because the news cycle is packed, that's why.

You've got SOTU, Kerry declining to run, two major helo crashes, one full of civilians who were executed, the other full of (just revealed) senior military officers, you've got the Congress declining to support the BushCo surge...the cycle is FULL. It's late in the day, too.

Don't be disheartened. Conviction is one thing, the SENTENCING offers another opportunity for the message to get out. If the sentences are substantial, the message will be sent. Don't disenfranchise people--it's just WRONG.

[brettdale]

6. Im guessing though

Even if it wasnt a big news day, the media wouldnt be talking about it all. I think its dead already.

[MADem]

17. I honestly think it broke too late. If it had happened before anything else got on the agenda

it might have had a prayer. But WAY too much was going on--the SOTU digestion actually had to be truncated for the Kerry announcement. These newsclowns aren't too swift; they can't turn on a dime when there's too much to cover. One big story? Sure, they can beat that to death. But several equally important stories? Naaah, they overload, short out, and limit their buffet to three. They just can't handle any more. Not very flexible of them, is it?

[Blue Shark]

28. Yes...

...Once JFK II folded like a cheap suit, and wasn't even a party to the recount, well 90% of America groaned and moved on.

...So much for the promise to count every vote and make sure that every vote cast is counted.

[NoAmericanTaliban]

2. K&R. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

[Morgana LaFey]

11. Tip of the iceberg and a drop in the bucket

It's not on MSM because a couple of election workers here and there is --- yawn -- not that important, frankly.

I'm NOT dissing these efforts or verdicts or anything else including the potential importance of this case and these verdicts (may they lead to a full unwinding of the 2004 and 2000 travesties elections). What I'm saying is that merely contemplates how much MORE needs to be addressed, investigated, revealed, litigated, judged, publicized, put right again / paid for (clearly impossible) -- it makes me very weary.

Nevertheless, a first step is a good thing. :beer:

[BearSquirrel2]

22. Lets not forget ...

Lets not forget something. Moderate Democrats do a little of this BS in their own home districts as well. Greg Palast rightly pointed out after 2000 that Chicago had spoiled vote percentages comparable to Chicago. The reason is that Chicago is so safe for Democrats that they don't NEED the liberal vote. The people who run the Chicago Democrats NEVER want to see another Harold Washington.

[bananas]

4. correct link to ohio.com news article

it should be http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/16536269.htm

[Me.]

5. Does Autorank Know About This?

Hope so.

[galloglas]

7. As soon as he checks his email

There will be a write up there for him that will give a first hand account.

Included:

Jacqui Maiden and Kathleen Dreamer were convicted of one the most serious felony counts of negligent misconduct and one misdemeanor of failing to perform duties.

The professional misconduct charge carries a possible 6 to 18-month prison term and an automatic termination from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

The third defendant, Rosie Grier, was found not guilty of all charges.

[MADem]

18. Rosie Grier???? Not the needlepointing former football player that was present at the RFK

assassination? The ordained minister who took OJ's confession?? Cousin of Pam??? Surely not THAT Rosie Grier!!!!!!!

[galloglas]

21. It would explain

why the other two got hit with the felony convictions, and Rosie Grier walked free.

Would you have voted to convict someone with two darning needles, who was that quick off the line? I sure wouldn't have if I were a juror.

I would have found him (if it actually were the Great Roosevelt) "Not Guilty!" by reasons of self-defense. My own self-defense!

[MADem]

23. But....but....but.... he's a DEMOCRAT! Heck, he was guarding Ethel that night

at the Ambassador, and he was one of the ones that pinned Sirhan Sirhan....

I'm hoping it's his evil cousin, if it's any relation.

[galloglas]

24. I surrender ! I surrender!

You're too clever for me, MA-DEM!

I'll just have to wait until we see photos. :think:Perhaps Ohio's electoral Rosie Grier might even be a female!

[autorank]

13. Quiet, don't tell anybody. I was on the jury;)

[Me.]

15. I Knew You Had To Be In The Mix

somewhere

[catgirl]

8. I Knew Kerry Won

The (fake) terrorist alert that the FBI didn't
even know about was the biggest clue of
what was happening. It was all too obvious.
Why this wasn't stopped at the time is beyond
me.

[sodenoue]

9. of course Kerry won

George Bush is not my president.

[Febble]

10. Well, of course the recount was rigged

although this looks a bit like scapegoating to me.

Nonetheless I am delighted to see this prosecution. It's the beginning of accountability.

But rigging the recount to avoid handcounts is not the same as rigging the election.

[autorank]

12. You are the bearer of good tidings. Sweet! Oh, but this never happens.

Oh, no never. We're just obsessed with this type of coincidence - rigged recount in strongest Kerry territory in Ohio, nah, just happened that way;)

KR Dude

[BeFree]

14. And this on the day..

...that Kerry quits. Can't say I blame him, not many people supported him any way.

We've waited a long time for some semblance of justice from the stolection of 2004. Why am not jumping for joy?

[TankLV]

16. Just fucking great - so the WAR CRIMINAL wasn't elected TWICE!

JUST WHY THE FUCK IS THERE NO RECOURSE FOR THE COUNTRY TO IMMEDIATELY GET RID OF THESE ASSHOLES AND UNDO EVERY FUCKING CRIME THEY'VE COMMITTED?!

[autorank]

20. That's the truth...Here's the answer.."Because they're above the law."

You know, them, the Presidents, Presidents of Vice, and those who do their dirty work and gate pardons, which is one thing that needs to go IMMEDIATELY.

Nixon, took a walk; Bush I took a walk; and the fucking imipeach Clinton for tawdry sex. This is an illness, a sign of decay by the ruling class. They need to clean up their act and realize that their bargain with Bush was Faustian. It's time to let the truth out, which will chase the demonic duo form power quickly.

[Awsi Dooger]

19. They obviously aren't card players

The judge should tack on 6 months for pure stupidity.

"But the plan fell apart, he said, when some of the stacks of ballots that had previously been counted were not shuffled, resulting in streams of constant votes for either President Bush or his challenger, John Kerry, drawing questions from observers at the official recount."

[NDN_Liberal]

25. I Was Right

Know this is really late, but have been busy getting the word out.
First learned about this last July when i heard about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s report. When i told an old republican friend of mine, he said he could not even talk to somebody who believed in such conspiracies.
Well, guess i was right after all. Thanks for the info would have never known otherwise, b/c of our "liberal" media.

[L. Coyote]

26. NOT big news. The Vote-Sewitching is the real news and is covered up.

I find it humorous that the prosecutor is the one trumpeting "no fraud." Three blind mice, see how the run from the truth.

OHIO 2004: 6.15% Kerry-Bush vote-switch found in probability study
Discussion here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=466044&mesg_id=466044

Quoting the DU from Jan 2005: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=172&topic_id=5161#5213

"In Cuyahoga county there are 352 precincts in the 2\2 subset, at locations with 2 ballot orders and 2 precincts. Of these, 220 are ...locations, in one precinct at each location, Kerry cross-votes switch to Bush votes. These precincts are where the greatest impact on the results occurs...

These are the P = 1.0 precincts. Of the 110, 30 are in precincts with >90% Kerry support, 28 have 70-90% Kerry support, 22 have 60-70% Kerry support, 12 have 50-60%, 12 have 40-50, and 5 have <40%. Every single Kerry cross-vote in these precincts counted as a Bush vote.

Do you understand this? If not, read the Web pages..."

The 2004 Ohio Presidential Election: Cuyahoga County Analysis
How Kerry Votes Were Switched to Bush Votes

http://jqjacobs.net/politics/ohio.html

The vote-switching evidence was even sent directly to the prosecutor, to Congress, et.al. and has been online for years. Nonetheless, the prosecutor is quoted saying the opposite.

This trial has served to cover-up the truth, focusing attention on the wrong issue. The REAL Ohio 2004 issue is vote-switching and the many other irregularities that impacted the outcome. Recounting ballots that were marked at the wrong precincts or shuffled to the wrong pile was a non-starter, and remains a distraction from vote theft. Perhaps that wasn't the purpose in the first instance. Perhaps.

[L. Coyote]

27. "sentencing of Jaqui Maiden and Kathy Dreamer was originally scheduled for 2-26. "

Friday, March 2, 2007
And what about the sentencing of the two women convicted of felonious election actions ?
http://citizensboe.blogspot.com/2007/03/and-what-about-sentencing-of-two-women.html

.......

"The prosecutor had even promised the women immunity before the trial if they would tell, and has said that even now he is willing to "talk to them". But the people who would be implicated - are some on the board - like Bob Bennett, the powerful head of the Ohio GOP - so there's some powerful protection to be kept. (And it really doesn't even seem as if the women were paying for their own defense...ahem.)

"So right now, Maiden under the CCBOE "brand new policy" is to get paid for all of her overtime and vacation pay, instead of just let go with no payment - to the tune of over $27,000 ...of taxpayer money - more than many taxpayers make in a year. That's one heck of alot of vacation time. (I've just asked for the supporting docs.) Dreamer, lower in position, is getting over $8K." .....

Much More.

[demodonkey]

29. They Got Away With It in Belmont County Too

Another so-called "blue" county where the "random" precincts were pre-chosen, the ballots were all in the sealed ballot cases IN ORDER OF WHO WAS VOTED ON FOR PRESIDENT, and NOT ONE HANGING OR ROUGH CHAD. And "Frankie" the BOE Chair screaming at the Recount Observers and her own staff until the totals matched (so the threat of a full hand-count went away) then she was just sweet.

I will go to my grave know those ballots were pre-processed, and that overall Kerry won Ohio.

And my report (as the Recount's Regional Coordinator for the area) about Belmont, turned in promptly, has never yet made it on to the official site about the Recount, let alone any of these people being prosecuted.

[L. Coyote]

30. ballots "... IN ORDER OF WHO WAS VOTED ON FOR PRESIDENT..."

YOU WROTE: "the ballots were all in the sealed ballot cases IN ORDER OF WHO WAS VOTED ON FOR PRESIDENT,.....
I will go to my grave know those ballots were pre-processed, and that overall Kerry won Ohio."

What is missing still is a discussion of WHY the ballots were sorted by presidential votes.

One reason I can think of is, "To switch votes." In Ohio, ballot order rotated, so moving a ballot to another precinct can change the vote outcome. That is why this is so alarming. This fact alone should trigger a fraud investigation.

Contact me privately. I know who will look at your report (now that there are new officials in Ohio.) I never received a reply from Blackwell. That has changed and investigation is underway, if not advertised.