Election fraud, vote tampering, bribing voters, etc...

[cynatnite]

APPALACHIA - Authorities on Monday executed search warrants at the home of the Appalachia mayor/town manager, a town councilman and members of his family, and the acting police chief as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of election fraud during town elections two years ago.

Wise County Special Prosecutor Tim McAfee accompanied "multiple search teams" of the Virginia State Police to execute search warrants on the residence of Mayor/Town Manager Ben Cooper, the offices of the Appalachia Police Department and Appalachia Town Hall, the residence of acting Police Chief Ben Serber, and the residence of Town Councilman Owen Anderson "Andy" Sharrett III.

snip:
Allegations of election fraud cropped up after the 2004 town elections. The allegations include attempts to buy votes with offers of cigarettes, beer and bags of pork rinds, and tampering with absentee ballots. Most recently, an envelope used to submit an absentee ballot was sent to crime labs for DNA testing.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.dna?_StoryID=3595615

Among the claims: that some votes were bought with promises of cigarettes and six-packs of beer, that absentee ballots were stolen from voters' mailboxes and fraudulently cast, and that one of the candidates for the town council went on to head the town police department, now suspected of illegally seizing drugs, money and property.

"It was a very disturbing discovery today," special prosecutor Tim McAfee said after a day of police searches. "We've got pre-election misconduct, we've got Election Day misconduct, and we've got post-election misconduct."

In addition to seizing evidence from the town hall and the police department, authorities also raided the homes of a town council member, the police captain and the mayor.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/50647

Now, I know I shouldn't pre-judge, but this sounds so damn repuke-like. I have no idea the party affiliation of the individuals involved.

[kaygore]

1. If it's Virginia, then they are most likely Republicans

[cybildisobedience]

2. If it's bad, and it doesn't say, it's a Republican

Ex -- affair, but no mention of party -- Republican
election tampering, but no mention of party -- Republican
murder, but no mention of party -- Republican

traffic ticket -- mentions party affiliation to Democrats in headline, and is followed by a huge (or Hugh) article on how crime wave is sweeping through the Democratic party

[Individualist]

3. I'd be willing to bet they're repugs

WJHL TV reported on that on the 6 pm news this evening and didn't mention party affiliation. That told me quite a bit considering WJHL's republican bias.

[cynatnite]

4. I really want to know who changed their vote for a bag of pork rinds?

I mean...:wtf: pork rinds??? :rofl: