GUEST COLUMN: "Bringing Ohio’s Elections Up To Date" by St. Rep. John Adams

St. Rep. John Adams

By State Representative John Adams

Most of us can remember the 2008 elections, when it seemed there were many mishaps taking over the news cycle, such as allegations of fraud, the role of ACORN and the “golden week” period, when a person could register to vote and cast a vote in the same day. Many Ohioans came away from that election, regardless of who was victorious, feeling that something had to be done to reform the election system and ensure that votes were counted in a fair way.

 

Yet the Democrats who took over the Ohio House following that election refused to acknowledge the problem and show leadership on the issue. The sanctity of the vote is something that the state legislature has an obligation to protect. That is why the Ohio House set out to reform some of our state’s election laws with the passage of House Bill 194.

 

Although you will inevitably hear those who are resistant to change or modernizing our elections crying foul and skewing the nature of this bill, the truth is that this bill is a long-overdue effort to strengthen Ohio’s elections process and improve accessibility. It does not, as many Democrats have claimed, disenfranchise voters or any of the other misrepresentations that they have recently been spreading; this is just another attempt by Ohio’s Democrats to distort debates on this bill. This is a common-sense initiative to bring Ohio’s elections into the 21^st century and utilize the modern technologies at our fingertips.

 

This legislation does everything from ensuring that polling locations are accessible for those with disabilities to taking advantage of the latest technology without jeopardizing the security of the vote. Inefficiencies and problems should have no place in our Election Day. Using such technology, addressing incidences of fraud, and streamlining operations will help our elections meet the needs of a fast-paced, contemporary society like ours.

 

A large chunk of House Bill 194 is geared toward ensuring that there are consistent standards regarding elections across the state, rather than doing things differently from county to county. The use of provisional and absentee ballots is an important area where we must be consistent so to not disenfranchise votes. Not only does this legislation amend the verification procedures for these ballots, but it also reduces the number of reasons that a person would have to vote provisionally, rather than fill out a regular ballot. Clarifying the process increases accountability and helps our citizens feel better about their votes.

 

Additionally, the election reform will allow voters to change their address online for the first time, which is quick and convenient for those of us who are already registered. It also authorizes the use and certification of electronic poll books while increasing the accuracy of the rolls. Pinpointing poll worker error and making the times and locations of voting more uniform across the board are important aspects of the legislation, as well.

 

With so many of the provisions developed in this election reform law, we are making the needed changes to ensure fair and honest elections in the most efficient way. Casting a vote is one of the most important things we can do as Americans, and I’m pleased that the House Republicans have stepped up and led in protecting this right.

Boehner Challenges HUD on New $17.2 Million Grant for ACORN

Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today sent a letter to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Steven Preston, urging him to protect taxpayers and withhold funding from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) until credible congressional oversight hearings are completed in a manner that clears the organization of wrongdoing. Boehner’s request follows last week’s announcement that NeighborWorks America, a government-created entity which directs tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to state housing agencies and nonprofit groups, has awarded two taxpayer-funded grants totaling $17.2 million to the group. In October, Boehner sent a letter to President Bush requesting that all federal funds be withheld from ACORN after the Associated Press reported that the scandal-tarnished organization was under investigation by the FBI for a “coordinated national scam” of voter registration fraud.

“ACORN is not an organization that should be subsidized by taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” Boehner wrote. “ACORN, which for years has been closely connected with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, appears to have played a key role in the irresponsible schemes that led to the recent financial meltdown that has already cost Americans trillions of dollars in the form of government bailouts and lost retirement savings. Congress has not yet held investigatory hearings to examine the details of ACORN’s involvement in these schemes. Until credible oversight hearings are conducted and completed in a manner that clears ACORN of wrongdoing, the organization should not receive taxpayer money.”

Earlier this year, Boehner released an analysis showing that ACORN already has received at least $31 million in federal funding from various federal agencies since 1998. This total does not count the untold millions more that ACORN has received indirectly through state and local agencies that receive federal block grants.

“I ask that you direct Federal Housing Commissioner Brian D. Montgomery, who serves on the board of directors of NeighborWorks with five other federal officials, to exercise his authority as a director to prevent the release of the funds awarded last week,” concluded Boehner. “The American people have a right to know that their tax dollars are being used responsibly by the federal government and those to whom it provides federal grants. Until such assurances are provided concerning ACORN through appropriate federal oversight and investigation, the organization should not receive another penny from American taxpayers.”

NOTE: Boehner’s letter today to Secretary Preston follows and is available here. The letter sent by Boehner to President Bush in October is available here.

Boehner Statement on the Justice Department's Refusal to Enforce Federal Voting Laws

Boehner Statement on the Justice Department’s Refusal to Enforce Federal Voting Laws, Require Ohio Secretary of State Brunner to Preserve Integrity of Ohio’s Vote on Tuesday

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice declined to intervene in Ohio voter registration controversy and refused to require Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to preserve the integrity of Tuesday’s election:

“I’m disappointed by the Justice Department’s refusal to stop Secretary Brunner’s calculated effort to undermine the integrity of Ohio’s election. Of the 660,000 new voter registrations in Ohio, more than 200,000 have been found questionable. Yet Secretary Brunner has refused to provide county elections officials with access to a computerized database with the most up-to-date voter registration information so that local officials can verify that voters are, in fact, who they claim to be.

“The tactics she’s employed come right from the ACORN playbook, a group with which she is intimately linked. ACORN, which my office has identified as the recipient of at least $30 million in taxpayer funds, has been at the forefront again of allegations of voter registration and potential ballot fraud across Ohio and the nation. Between ACORN’s activities and Brunner’s refusal to comply with the Help America Vote Act, there is little wonder that Ohioans believe their votes will be devalued come Tuesday.”

Boehner on Brunner's Continued Refusal to Comply with Federal Election Law

Statement:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement regarding Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s continued defiance of federal voting laws that require her to provide local election officials with access to resources to verify voter registrations:

“In the wake of widespread allegations of voter fraud and election abuses in Florida during the 2000 presidential campaign, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was signed into law to restore confidence in our electoral system and to establish the minimum standards to oversee a fair election. Secretary Brunner has shown no interest in conducting a fair election, instead refusing to provide HAVA-required access to a statewide database to verify voter registrations despite reports of voter-registration fraud from groups like ACORN and Vote from Home, a Manhattan-based grassroots organization whose employees and activities have come under scrutiny.

“We’re running out of time for Secretary Brunner to fulfill her oath to ensure Ohioans that their votes will be properly counted. In just two days, absentee ballots and ballots cast during Ohio’s ‘early voting’ week will be removed from their envelopes and co-mingled so that votes cannot be matched to a specific person, in keeping with our right to a secret ballot. But Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters has called for an investigation into the ‘early vote’ ballots after discovering that 166 ‘voters’ and 100 addresses were found not to exist.

“Verifying that persons wanting to vote are eligible to do so and cross-checking their residential status is not suppressing the vote. Instead, it’s suppressing illegal votes that cause irreparable harm to the integrity of our elections. Prosecutor Deters has asked that ballots remain separate until the eligibility of the voters can be verified. Secretary Brunner has so far refused to provide any assurances that she can run a fair election, and removing identifying information from questionable ballots and mixing them with valid absentee and ‘early vote’ ballots increases the likelihood that fraudulent ballots will be counted among valid ones. Secretary Brunner must immediately provide access to statewide resources and order county elections officials to keep separate questionable absentee and ‘early vote’ ballots until the voter registration can be verified. Otherwise, she will devalue the votes of every eligible Ohioan who expects his and her vote to be properly counted.”

NOTE: A Rasmussen poll released last week showed that just 53 percent of Ohio voters believe their votes will be counted properly. Forty-five percent of those polled believe that people who shouldn’t be allowed to vote will do so and 28 percent said that it’s more likely that eligible voters will be denied a chance to cast a ballot. The poll also showed that 80 percent of Ohio voters believe that a driver’s license or other photo ID should be required before voting.

Boehner Signs Letter to A.G. Mukasey Asking the Justice Department Compel OH Secretary of State to Comply with Federal Law

Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) has signed onto a letter [PDF] to U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey requesting the U.S. Department of Justice use its authority to compel Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to comply with the Help America Vote Act. The U.S. Supreme Court last week vacated a lower court ruling that ordered Brunner to provide Ohio county election officials with statewide resources to verify new voter registrations. The Supreme Court’s ruling was based on “the lack of standing of a private party to enforce HAVA’s requirements” and not on whether Brunner was acting in accordance with HAVA.

“As the eyes of the nation once again turn to Ohio in this critical election, partisan politics are making a mockery of our electoral system. Secretary of State Brunner has wasted countless tax dollars and the precious little time we have before the election to fight against protecting the rights of eligible Ohio voters to cast their ballots without questioning whether their votes will count. It is imperative that every Ohioan who is eligible to vote have confidence in our system and the best way to assure voters that this election is fair is to cross-check newly registered voters maintained in the Secretary of State’s database. Secretary Brunner’s shameful partisan actions are a black eye on the Buckeye State.”

NOTE: A Rasmussen poll released last week showed that just 53 percent of Ohio voters believe their votes will be counted properly. Forty-five percent of those polled believe that people who shouldn’t be allowed to vote will do so and 28 percent said that it’s more likely that eligible voters will be denied a chance to cast a ballot. The poll also showed that 80 percent of Ohio voters believe that a driver’s license or other photo ID should be required before voting.

The Oct. 20, 2008 letter was signed by the following Ohio lawmakers: Reps. John Boehner (R-West Chester), Steve Chabot (R-Westwood), Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), David Hobson (R-Springfield), Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township), Robert Latta (R-Bowling Green), Ralph Regula (R-Navarre), Patrick Tiberi (R-Genoa Township) and Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington).

ACORN, Obama, and RICO...Could Campaign Contributions Hold the Key?

OK, folks, we are going to be discussing a lot of inside baseball terms, so keep up. RICO refers to racketeering charges. Many have been wondering why the feds don't use RICO to go after ACORN with its registration fraud activities? In fact, one columnist posited this very question:

As I watch helplessly day after day as exhausted poll workers are swamped by tens of thousands — possibly hundreds of thousands — of forged, faked, and illegal voter registrations, preventing them from doing their job and assuring a fair and orderly election, I keep waiting for the cavalry in the form of the FBI and Department of Justice. But I hear no hoof beats and see no dust.

There was a rumor circulating last week that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in Chicago was heading up a team looking into RICO prosecutions of ACORN, but it appears to have been wishful thinking. But now AP is reporting that two senior officials with the FBI are looking into the materials seized from ACORN office raids around the country to see if it can find evidence of coordinational national fraud on the part of ACORN.

Could the government use RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Practices Act) to stop ACORN’s outrageous conduct? I think it could. Briefly, RICO 18 U.S.C. § 1961-1968. is a federal law providing extended penalties for those who commit any two of 35 crimes — 27 federal and eight state — within a 10-year period. The underlying crimes range from gambling to terrorism and include some offenses which would seem to cover the reported acts of ACORN (e.g., bribery, mail and phone fraud).

The columnist also gives praise to the Buckeye Institute:

While the cavalry isn’t riding to the rescue even though they apparently have the means to do so, a group of Ohioans are. On October 14, the Buckeye Institute, whose membership includes former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, filed suit on behalf of two Ohio voters against ACORN and Project Vote/Voting for America.

The suit is brought under the Ohio Corrupt Practices Act, a state law similar to the federal RICO act. Among its factual assertions are these developed in Congressional hearings:

From 2004-2006 ACORN has received $4.6 million in federal funds for its Housing Corporation.
ACORN has 150 subsidiary organizations with a total operating budget of over $110 million this year.
All the 150 subsidiaries operate from the top as a single enterprise, including the nonprofit Project Vote and the political operation known as Citizens Services.
Citizens Services has endorsed Barack Obama and has received over $832,000 from Obama’s campaign during the primary period for services.
ACORN and Citizen’s Services share the same board of directors. They also share office space in New Orleans.
The suit documents numerous instances of in-state predicate acts, including the following:

Forgery, uttering forged documents, tampering with writings and records.
Harassing people to encourage them to register multiple times; bribing people to register multiple times; registering non-existent and clearly ineligible voters (like minors); registering the same person in multiple counties; providing fraudulent and forged documents.
The suit documents numerous predicate acts committed by ACORN outside Ohio as well, specifically in Nevada, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, Vrginia, Washington, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Carolina.

The suit asks the court to take notice of the “lengthy and ubiquitous history of voter fraud, embezzlement, misuse of taxpayer funds” and concludes that ACORN’s pattern of fraud can no longer be dismissed as mere random unfortunate acts by some ACORN agents. Buckeye argues, and we can hardly dispute:

81. ACORN itself, and not just its agents, is responsible for the perpetration of the predicate acts articulated heretofore, in that it either acted with intent to cause these acts, or with negligence or reckless indifference as to whether these acts occurred.

82. Given its hiring, training, and compensation practices, ACORN knew or should have known that its conduct would cause fraud, and knows or should know that its conduct will cause fraud in the future.

I wonder: why the cavalry hasn’t suited up? Indeed, I can think of no good reason why it has failed to do so. Surely it’s as easy for the federal government, with all its resources, to start questioning witnesses and examining registration materials. It can examine ACORN’s books, and the materials seized from some of its offices. It can begin to prosecute this fraud which has such a damaging impact on the body politic and convinced the public that a fair election is impossible.

OK, so now we are getting more details, including some internal info from an ACORN attorney that shows they have not only been hiding the truth, but may have been out and out lying:

An internal report by a lawyer for the community organizing group Acorn raises questions about whether the web of relationships among its 174 affiliates may have led to violations of federal laws.

The group, formally known as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has been in the news over accusations that it is involved in voter registration fraud, charges it says are overblown and politically motivated.

Republicans have tried to make an issue of Senator Barack Obama’s ties to the group, which he represented in a lawsuit in 1995. The Obama campaign has denied any connection with Acorn’s voter registration drives.

The June 18 report, written by Elizabeth Kingsley, a Washington lawyer, spells out her concerns about potentially improper use of charitable dollars for political purposes; money transfers among the affiliates; and potential conflicts created by employees working for multiple affiliates, among other things.

It also offers a different account of the embezzlement of almost $1 million by the brother of Acorn’s founder, Wade Rathke, than the one the organization gave in July, when word of the theft became public.

“A full analysis of potential liability will require consultation with a knowledgeable white-collar criminal attorney,” Ms. Kingsley wrote of the embezzlement, which occurred in 2000 but was not disclosed until this summer.

So, we have even ACORN's own lawyers admitting of malfeasance and bad practices. So, what could be going on? Why isn't the DOJ more involved in seeing justice served and integrity brought back to our electoral process? Well, it appears that the DOJ is in the tank for Obama:

In all, DOJ lawyers and staff in the metro area have donated at least $150,000 to Obama. No wonder they seem more interested in prosecuting those who warn against vote fraud than enforcing vote-fraud laws

Welcome to Chicago thug politics writ national.

VIDEO: OhioGOPtv

Just Who Is Instilling Fear Upon Ohio Electorate?

I had to laugh at T-Shirt Ted today. He said something ill-advised about the whole ACORN mess.

Ohio GOP Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine had plenty to say in response:

"Jennifer Brunner is the only one in this election instilling fear in Ohio voters about whether they will be able to cast a ballot, and now she's raising doubts about the integrity of the entire voting process.

Gov. Strickland was conveniently silent while Secretary Brunner used valuable state tax dollars to disenfranchise thousands of Ohio voters, and now we're expected to believe he's suddenly concerned about protecting them.

The governor had a chance to be a statesman in this debate and work toward common ground in addressing the concerns of everyone involved, but he can't tear himself away from the worn-out Democrat talking points that have about as much validity as an ACORN registration.

The courts clearly said that no one will be disenfranchised by providing a process of validating questionable voter forms. In fact, they said Ohioans would have greater confidence that their vote is not being canceled out by a fraudulent ballot.

Perhaps Gov. Strickland should spend less time on the campaign trail and more time dealing with Ohio's highest unemployment rate in nearly 20 years."

When the Ohio ACLU says you're wearing the Donkey's jersey, it's time to come off the field...

ACORN Update: NY Post Calls ACORN What it Is

The NY Post comes out swinging on ACORN in regards to the Feds' investigation of ACORN:

After weeks of reports of wide spread fraud, the FBI has opened an investigation into the far-left "community organizer" group's nationwide voter-registration campaign.

Talk about bolting the barn after the horses are out. It's extremely unlikely that anything significant will come of it before Election Day.

Still, the fact that the Justice Department has gotten involved signifies an appreciation that what ACORN has tried to portray as the inevitably haphazard efforts of local organizers is more likely a nationwide, coordinated voter-registration scam.

Frankly, it seems to be far too widespread to be anything but that.

Yes, the whole meme of: "well, these are just a few bad apples, we registered this many correctly..." How many different elections, how many different states does it take to realize that this is not just a few bad apples but a systemic characteristic of ACORN?

Read the whole thing....

ACORN and Obama Ties Update: ABC News Using Obama Contributor as 'Expert' to Defend ACORN

From the great folks at Newsbusters:

Justin Rood of ABC news came out with a tortured defense of ACORN today with the help of "experts" that claim there is no connection between invalid voter registrations and voter fraud. In order for Rood to make this claim he relies on the testimony of two "experts", namely Civil Rights attorney David Becker and Lorraine Minnite, a political science professor at Barnard College in New York.

A further examination of these two experts however shows that Rood is downright deceitful in presenting this argument. Lorraine Minnite actually donated $250 to the Obama campaign in March of this year while David Becker is anything but the Republican that he is portrayed as in the article. In fact Mr. Becker is a former director at People for the American Way, a liberal activist group that monitors "right wing organizations" and is currently launching a campaign aimed at Fighting Back Against Right-Wing Smears of ACORN.

Just in case you were unconvinced of the objectivity of Becker's former group note that they will be launching a full page ad in the New York Times in defense of ACORN.

We can hardly call these experts objective yet they are the people that ABC News is relying on to gloss over the multi-state voter fraud activities of a group that is intricately tied to Barack Obama.

Check out the specific comments and further details at the link above....

Voter Fraud Update: College Journalists Continue to Report Truth MSM Fails To...Meet Mr. Smith

Shelby Holliday better decide to get out of journalism. The pro-Obama MSM will probably never hire her after she and her colleagues at Palestra have been out front in this....Here is the story of a Jacob Smith, who registered to vote in Ohio but has no intent of living in Ohio...confused? Should be...but Jennifer Brunner does not want to take the time to check on people like Jacob who are trying to game the system. Here are the details:

This morning, I received information that an Obama campaign worker Jacob I. Smith had registered to vote at a temporary address in Ohio.

We looked up Smith's public voter record and contacted the residents of the house at which "Jake" Smith was registered to vote.

Smith was being hosted by a man named Don and his wife during the election period; Don agreed to answer a few questions on camera, so we headed down to Howard, OH.

On the way down, Don called me back and said that he wanted us to get Smith's side of the story as well... he felt bad because Smith was “a good kid.” Don gave Smith my number and before I knew it, I had a new message...

Smith wanted to know why we were seeking him out and told me to please go to HIM, not Don. He said that he was at the Obama headquarters in Mt. Vernon and that we should stop by to speak to him.

A few minutes later Smith called again, wondering how we got his info and why we wanted to talk to him. I said we wanted to ask him a few questions about early voting in Ohio.. he sounded nervous, but he agreed to talk OFF the record.

I called Palestra graduate managing editor Tiffany Wilson to tell her the situation and when I hung up, I had ANOTHER message from Smith. He was frantic and said he couldn't answer any questions at all… “thanks but no thanks.”

Smith didn't want to lose his job with the campaign.Tiffany and graduate reporter Gary Orr headed over to see if they could talk to Smith at the Obama HQ, and I headed to Don's house with graduate reporter Sean Merinar.

Don was really nice and just gave us the facts- he said that to his knowledge, Smith grew up in Florida and is a graduate of Hofstra University on Long Island, NY. He is a paid worker on the Obama campaign and is staying for the month of October. Don said they don't talk too much because Smith is always out working, but he seems like a nice guy.

When I asked Don if Smith planned on staying in Ohio, he said he didn't know.

...so I then asked if Smith was welcome to stay at his place in Ohio, and he joked, "yeah if he pays some rent."

So, maybe it was just something that was discovered....no organized attempt to game the system by Jacob or the campaign, right? Well, let's go to the rest of Ms. Holliday's story for some curious conversations with the Obama campaign:

Following our conversation with Don, Sean and I went to the Board of Elections and found that Jacob I. Smith registered and voted on October 1, 2008 at Don's address. (According to the info Don gave me, that is a day or 2 after Smith arrived in Ohio.)

We thought the info we had could be of interest to the prosecuting attorney for election law, but when we visited her office, she was unavailable for comment.

I was literally 2 steps out the door when I got a call from Tom Reynolds of the Obama campaign. Reynolds appeared angry and said, "I understand you visited one of our campaign workers..." I told him that Tiffany had visited Smith because SMITH INVITED US THERE and that I visited the host family. Frankly, Reynolds sounded paranoid and said "you have to go through the press office- we don't bother you at work, please don't bother us. Our workers have a job to do and we don't want them being disrupted."

He also said that if we needed something on the record, we should call him.

After talking one of our managers in the Palestra office, I called Reynolds back and told him I'd take him up on the offer since Smith couldn't comment. But then Reynolds backpedaled and never agreed to go on the record. He kept saying, "I don't know why you want me on the record because I don't even see a story here."

I REPEATEDLY TOLD HIM that we were inquiring about Smith's residency. Did he plan on staying in Ohio? We were told that he wasn't from here and that he was probably planning on leaving after the election (off camera on the phone).

Reynolds said "Well he got here before October 4 right? So he will be here 30 days right? And he registered before Oct 6 right? So he has complied with the law. There is no story."

I told him it appeared as if Smith had NOT complied with the law because he was most likely a temporary resident of Ohio. We have spoken to multiple attorneys and that the law actually states that a temporary presence in Ohio does NOT make one eligible to register and vote in the state. (Ohio Revised Code 3503.02 Residence Determination Rules). This information can be found online, and it was also given to us by the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O'Brien just 2 days ago.

Reynolds laughed and said he was "well versed"... that I didn't need to refer him to the law. He repeatedly told me that he didn't see any story here.

Reynolds also felt it necessary to point out (numerous times) that the prosecuting attorney Ron O'Brien is a Republican and is not in Knox County -- as if that changed the state law.

We were back and forth for a LONG time, and he never agreed to go on the record. I felt like he was trying to intimidate me and talk me out of doing a story, but I could also sense that he was a little nervous about it all. He kept asking me who I had on camera and what kind of information I had.

I told Reynolds that we wanted to reach out and give them a chance to give their side of the story, but he kept saying "there is no story."

Well you know what? I think there is.

No...nothing to see here....move on...pay no attention to the ACORN or the fraudulent voters behind the curtain....

Jennifer Brunner Doesn't Want Accurate, Trustworthy Elections

Because she might have to actually do some work....After saying she would comply with the court ruling, Jennifer Brunner is appealing to the Supreme Court to fight a ruling that she had to come up with a system to help verify real voters from frauds.

Ohio's top elections chief has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a dispute over whether the state is required to do more to help counties verify voter eligibility, a spokesman for her office said Thursday.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, filed an appeal the high court late Wednesday, said spokesman Jeff Ortega.

On Tuesday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati sided with the Ohio Republican Party and ordered Brunner to set up a system that provides names of newly registered voters whose driver's license numbers or Social Security numbers don't match records in other government databases.

The GOP contends the information for counties will help prevent fraud.

At least 200,000 newly registered voters have mismatched data, according to an initial review by Brunner's office.

Jenny, if you can't handle your job, please leave....Think about it. Ohio was decided in 2004 by less than 200,000 votes. Jenny doesn't care if it comes down to fraudulent votes, as long as they are for Obama and ACORN.

FBI FINALLY Looking into ACORN

It has been confirmed. The FBI is looking into charges of what most rational people already know: ACORN is fostering voter registration fraud. From the AP:

The FBI is investigating whether the community activist group ACORN helped foster voter registration fraud around the nation before the presidential election. A senior law enforcement official confirmed the investigation to The Associated Press on Thursday.

A second senior law enforcement official says the FBI was looking at results of recent raids on ACORN offices in several states for any evidence of a coordinated national scam.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Justice Department regulations forbid discussing ongoing investigations particularly so close to an election.

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, says it has registered 1.3 million young people, minorities and poor and working-class voters - most of whom tend to be Democrats.

Republican accusations about the group were raised during Wednesday's presidential debate between Democrat Barack Obama and GOP candidate John McCain.

Some ACORN employees have been accused of submitting false voter registration forms - including some signed 'Mickey Mouse' or other fictitious characters.

Those voter registration cards have become the focus of fraud investigations in Nevada, Connecticut, Missouri and at least five other states. Election officials in Ohio and North Carolina also recently questioned the group's voter forms.

ACORN should be prosecuted and stopped. This type of nonsense undermines our system. And hiding behind, well, it is only this much...or, we have this many who are real....just doesn't cut it anymore. Every election, this group has these bogus registrations. If they can't fix this problem, they should not exist as a group.

Obama and ACORN: He Tried to Give them Legal Shield Law

The relationship between Barack Obama and the voter fraud organization ACORN continue to deepen. From a Canadian reporter, we get this gem: Barack Obama co-sponsored legislation to protect ACORN from criminal prosecution for harassing banks to approve loans for individuals who could not afford them. These practices helped push our country into its current economic crisis. But, thanks to Barack Obama, ACORN will not have to worry about facing any consequences for its dubious practices.
From the Canadian Free Press:

Not only did Barack Obama's presidential campaign pay more than U.S. $800,000 to a front of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform, Now, ACORN, currently under investigation in a dozen States for voter registration fraud and bribery schemes, for “get-out-the-vote-efforts”; Obama co-sponsored legislation called the “Helping Families Save their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2007”-- that was supported by ACORN and protects them.

Why would groups like ACORN, who according to Stanley Kurtz’s “O Dangerous Pals” undermined “the US economy by pushing the banking system into a sinkhole of bad loans…. by forcing banks to make hundreds of millions of dollars in “subprime” loans to often un-creditworthy poor and minority customers…” support this legislation?

Perhaps because it provides Chapter 13 Bankruptcy protections to homeowners who didn’t have the means to buy homes, and it protects people who put those borrowers into these high-risk mortgages.

...Another key reason why groups like ACORN support this legislation because it: “Prohibits the court from allowing a claim that is subject to any remedy for damages or rescission due to failure to comply with the Truth in Lending Act or any other state or federal consumer protection law.”

The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) was designed to create “economic stabilization and competition by informed use of credit by consumers (emphasis added).” Under TILA the law also applies “to persons who are not creditors but who provide applications for home equity plans to consumers.” This bill absolves organizations of any guilt or culpability under TILA; perhaps the same organizations who intimidated and bullied banks into providing risky loans to unqualified borrowers like ACORN.

If this legislation does not pass, then these “persons who are not creditors,” could face “criminal penalties” for “willful and knowing violations of TILA,” which could result in a “fine of $5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.”

From the writer of the article, here are some specific provisions of the act:

§ 103. Definitions and rules of construction

(a) The definitions and rules of construction set forth in this section are applicable for the purposes of this title.
(b) The term "Board" refers to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(c) The term "organization" means a corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or association.
(d) The term "person" means a natural person or an organization.

§ 112. Criminal liability for willful and knowing violation

Whoever willfully and knowingly
(1) gives false or inaccurate information or fails to provide information which he is required to disclose under the provisions of this title or any regulation issued thereunder,
(2) uses any chart or table authorized by the Board under section 107 in such a manner as to consistently understate the annual percentage rate determined under section 107(a)(1)(A), or
(3) otherwise fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this title, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Here is the text from the "Helping Families Save their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2007 that absolves culpability: ""Prohibits the court from allowing a claim that is subject to any remedy for damages or rescission due to failure to comply with the Truth in Lending Act or any other state or federal consumer protection law."

Rubin Picks Up Obama's ACORN

Jennifer Rubin is spot on in her commentary:

It is almost inconceivable that Barack Obama should not have been grilled on this –either by his opponent or the media. (The latter is just beginning to cover the story.) Obama’s ties are deep and extensive with an organization that embraces goals and tactics well outside the political mainstream and that has engaged in a pattern of illegal activity usually seen only in RICO indictments. ACORN’s present involvement in coast-to-coast fraud is jaw-dropping and should raise the issue as to whether an Obama Justice Department would vigorously investigate and, if warranted, prosecute this entity and all involved.(A helpful compilation of ACORN’s suspect activities is here.) Put simply, Obama worked for and helped funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to a fraud-infested, corrupt organization and has yet to explain himself, let alone apologize for the same.

If the voters want such a president they will have him, but he should first explain himself and justify why his participation in and assistance to such an enterprise should not be serious grounds to question his fitness for office.

That a candidate this tied to the foundations of a racketeering organization like ACORN has not been grilled is one of the biggest blunders and misdeeds of the media. Obama should have to answer for his association and training of this group, whether he was paid or not.

ACORN Update

Before I take a moment to highlight some posts from friends in the State of Ohio Blogger Alliance on the ACORN lawsuit filed by the Buckeye Institute on behalf of two voters in Warren County, I want to provide the background. Let's start with the press release from the Buckeye Institute:

COLUMBUS – The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based think tank, today filed a state RICO action against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) on behalf of two Warren County voters. The action filed in Warren County Court of Common Pleas alleges ACORN has engaged in a pattern of corrupt activity that amounts to organized crime. It seeks ACORN’s dissolution as a legal entity, the revocation of any licenses in Ohio, and an injunction against fraudulent voter registration and other illegal activities.

Plaintiffs Jennifer Miller of Mason, Ohio and Kimberly Grant of Loveland, allege that ACORN's actions deprive them of the right to participate in an honest and effective elections process. They allege fraudulent voter registrations submitted by ACORN dilute the votes of legally registered voters.

“The right to cast a vote that is not diluted by fraudulent votes is a fundamental individual right,” Buckeye Institute President David Hansen said.

“ACORN appears to be recklessly disregarding Ohio laws and adding thousands of fraudulent voters to the state’s roles in the process,” Maurice Thompson, Director of the Buckeye Institute’s 1851 Center for Constitutional Law said. “Such voter fraud erodes the value of legally cast votes,” he added.

In the complaint, Thompson cites an accumulation of evidence showing numerous instances of admitted fraud by ACORN employees, as well as individuals solicited by ACORN.

“In light of its hiring, training and compensation practices, ACORN should have known its conduct would cause fraud,” Thompson said. “It also should know that its conduct will cause fraud in the future.”

In addition, the complaint cites conduct by ACORN in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

And here is the complaint itself:

Acorn Complaint - Upload a Document to Scribd

And now, we turn to coverage from our friends in the Alliance...

Thurber's Thoughts -- Bonus points to Maggie for having the lawyer on her radio show last night.

Brain Shavings

BizzyBlog

And I wanted to point out this post over at the Ohio GOP blog because it reminds us of Barack Obama's connections to ACORN and what all this fraud is really about: stealing Ohio.

Voinovich Sends Letter to DOJ on ACORN

Senator George Voinovich has hopped on the anti-ACORN bandwagon and has sent a letter to the Department of Justice:

VOINOVICH-DOJ-ACORN - Upload a Document to Scribd

I can't say as I agree all that much with this sentiment:

As you may know, in Ohio, the Secretary of State is the chief elections officer and oversees the election process. I am confident that Ohio’s Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, is doing what she can to ensure the integrity of the voter registration and election process.

Brunner has been at the very heart of the problem in dealing with the ACORN menace.

UPDATE: I love this bit from the Cleveland Plain Dealer blog:

When told that Voinovich had suggested that Justice assists her with the ACORN investigations, Brunner remarked sarcastically: "Oh, how kind of him."

Well, that's a rather partisan retort, Jenny...after all, Voinovich was only offering some advice!

6th Circuit Overturns Ruling; Verification Back On

ORPvBrunner6th - Upload a Document to Scribd

HT: DarkeBlog

Crites Calls for RICO Investigation of Alleged Voter Fraud by ACORN

Release:

Columbus – The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – better known as ACORN – should be investigated under the state or federal RICO statutes for alleged voter fraud according to Mike Crites, former U.S. Attorney and Republican candidate for Ohio Attorney General.

“I’ve spent 20 years as a prosecutor so it’s not too hard to spot a bad apple – or in this case, a bad ACORN,” Crites said. “While all parties are innocent until proven guilty, widespread allegations of voter registration fraud throughout Ohio and across the country present enough evidence to call for a full-blown investigation of the activist group ACORN.”

Because the Attorney General election is a special election, the winner will take office in November, once results are certified. Crites said that if elected, he will on his first day in office confer with county prosecutors in large Ohio cities and Ohio ’s federal prosecutors to begin gathering evidence of possible election fraud by ACORN and others.

Crites said if election fraud could be proven, there are a number of options for bringing RICO charges against ACORN, including:

Local county prosecutors bringing state RICO charges with logistical support from the Attorney General through the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation;

If local prosecutors decline to act directly, the Attorney General could use local authority to investigate and bring state RICO charges for election fraud, representing the first time the state Attorney General would use the RICO statute in this way; or

The U.S. Attorneys could seek federal RICO charges and the Ohio Attorney General would assist with that effort in a task force setting.

Crites pointed to current allegations in Franklin , Cuyahoga and Hamilton Counties that raise red flags about ACORN’s tactics and called on local prosecutors including Franklin County ’s Ron O’Brien to investigate potential voter fraud.

According to news reports, The Franklin County Prosecutor’s office said it received a complaint from a Colorado woman who claims her Franklin County relatives associated with ACORN were improperly registering and voting.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections heard official testimony from a voter who said he signed 73 voter registration forms over a five-month period in exchange for cigarettes or cash from ACORN workers.

Cuyahoga County has also seen instances of multiple registration cards with the same name but different dates of birth or different addresses, and a case of multiple people registered at the same address – an address that turned out to be a restaurant.

ACORN actually indicated to the Cuyahoga County Board of Election that it cannot eliminate fraud from its operation. The elections board has officially asked the county prosecutor to investigate.

In Hamilton County , the Board of Elections is investigating an ACORN worker for fraudulently submitting multiple voter registrations for people who don’t exist.

ACORN’s suspicious activity can be traced back as far as 2004, when the group gained notoriety for submitting Ohio voter registration forms for Dick Tracy, Mary Poppins, and Jive Turkey Sr., among others. The group is also under fire for suspicious registration activity in Connecticut , Florida , Indiana , Missouri , Nevada , New Mexico , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .

“Just like disgraced former Attorney General Marc Dann, my opponent, Richard Cordray, has never been a prosecutor so all of these front-line investigative matters are rather new to him,” Crites concluded. “The only way Ohioans can get an experienced prosecutor in the attorney general’s office is to elect one – Mike Crites.”

Obama Paid ACORN for "Campaign Consulting"

I wonder if Obama also paid for fraudulent registrations by the thousands....
From No Quarter:

According to Ohio Citizen Action, payments of $590,526.10 were made to Citizens Services Inc (ACORN) for “campaign consulting”. I reviewed all the FEC filings from February until June for Obama for America (Obama’s campaign
title) and found payments to CSI/ACORN. In all Obama for America made payments
totaling, $832,598.29 .

You can check out the FEC findings and other Gems about the Beloved One and ACORN.

Disturbing...and Disgusting...