A third employee who had been charged was acquitted on all counts.
Jacqueline Maiden, the elections’ coordinator who was the board’s third-highest ranking employee when she was indicted last March, and ballot manager Kathleen Dreamer each were convicted of a felony count of negligent misconduct of an elections employee.
Maiden and Dreamer also were convicted of one misdemeanor count each of failure of elections employees to perform their duty.
Golly. We’re shocked. We wish we would have paid closer attention to that whole 2004 Ohio Presidential Election scam thing instead of ignoring it all these years.
Oh, wait, that was just about everyone else other than The BRAD BLOG, across the near-entirety of both the MSM and the bulk of the Progressive blogosphere.
That aside…as pointed out in the article, the two who were convicted in Cuyahoga County were still pretty small fish…
“We’d like to listen to them if they had anything to say, if anyone else was involved with this. We still haven’t been able to determine that,” he said.
A message was left Wednesday with elections board director Michael Vu.
By way of reminder, the recount — the one that was rigged by Ohio Elections Officials — came by way of the Green and Libertarian Party candidates, not by way of the Democrats or John Kerry. As well, the money to pay for the gamed recount was raised by folks on the Internet, not paid for out of the $15 million or so that Kerry reportedly had left in his campaign war chest after the “Election” in Ohio.
All of that, despite Kerry’s continued and then broken promise to “Count Every Vote” in 2004.
These convictions occurred in Cuyahoga County, a Democratic stronghold of some 600,000 voters. Kerry “lost” the state of Ohio, according to the history books anyway, by just 118,000 out of some 5.5 million votes cast in the Buckeye State.
In related news, today Kerry decided to quit the 2008 Election, mercifully this time before it instead of afterwards.
UPDATE 3/13/2007: Maiden and Dreamer each sentenced to maximum of 18 months in prison. Judge and prosecutor at sentencing say they still believe the conspiracy goes higher. Details…
How much more proof do we need that Kerry won? Why did Kerry concede so fast?
Ugh! You should see how many problems there were this election. There’s a site with a map I came across with this with all the probs on a map thing NetrootsNetwork.org… its under “Mid-Term Elections”… Does this mean we can remove Bush from office? I hope so!
Strong Reaction from three election attorneys (Bob Fitrakis, Paul Lehto and Ken Simpkins) and analysis of this development can be found here:
http://www.democraticundergroun...opic_id=465777
This is an important development, in that Democratic counties were not recounting Democratic votes for Kerry correctly…. lotsa lessons here…
{Ed note: Your link was broken, Paul. Have replaced it with the correct one. -BF}
Just want to point out that according to Elizabeth Edwards’ autobiography, John Edwards went to the mat with Kerry to not concede, saying, “But we promised!!” So even though Kerry gave in almost instantaneously, Edwards was ready to duke it out. Too bad he wasn’t the one calling the shots.
My guess is that Kerry listened to the chicken-sh*t consultants who gave him so much bad advice throughout the campaign, who probably told him not to “damage” his 2008 chances ’cause they were afraid he’d get branded a “sore loser”, and have to tap into his unused campaign money.
The tragic irony is that after all the hemming and hawing and fighting with Edwards that must have gone on before he conceded, after all that effort to try to “save” it for 2008, he ended up losing it after all, way back on Election Night 2004.
so this is the democracy you want to put in place in Iraq and elsewhere in the world..backed up by your brainwashed military of course…
when are the good Americans going to wake up ..the Bush war criminal family has been doing this since prescott Bush…
ime for a revolution to save the world from World war 3 … I have seen the terrorists ..they ARE YOU… do a web search on “false flag operations”
learn the truth about 911
before it is too late…
how do goldman Sachs employees all recieve one million plus bonus’
understnd the Federal reserve is a privately owned iinstitutuon not governmemnt owned they create money out of thin air and lend it out on interest.. Goldmman Sachs are one of the Shreholderd of this private institution..
Brad…the only news sources I trust anymore are you, Cobert and The Onion.
bush should be impeached for his war crimes, and IF our countries laws will allow it (8 letter word) starts with E ends with Cuted. this is not a threat FBI just a suggestion IF our laws allow that too? what happened to freedom of speech that i would even have to mention this.
… Paul Lehto said…
http://www.democraticundergroun...389%C3%9733328
Your link came up with an encoding error.
Actual link here:
http://www.democraticundergroun...389×33328
Happy Trails John . . .
a national security breach is what this is.
I guess the only power I have left is to do another freeway blog.
Why is messing with the most important part of democracy, elections, only a misdemeanor? Any interferance with elections, whether that be vote tampering, interfering with votes or simply intentionally failing to count or recount votes correctly should be a felony with prison time. Anything less will not deter people in the future and will weaken not only the democratic process in the US, but will weaken democratic processes in nations that look to the US as the pinicle of representitive democracy. This is all the more important now, given that the US is currently trying to export the idea of democracy to the Mid East.
Katie: Any interferance with elections, whether that be vote tampering, interfering with votes or simply intentionally failing to count or recount votes correctly should be a felony with prison time.
Good start, but I don’t think it goes far enough. Interfering with elections is high treason. Perpetrators should be executed.
Any kind election fraud should be a felony.
If it were up to me the punishment for election fraud would range from jail time to a public firing squad.
{ed note: The following comment is disinfo, misleading, and most just incorrect. We’re allowing it to remain posted anyway. Because we feel generous today for some reason.}
Two election officials that are Democrats were convicted of not using statistically-proper samples to determine if a full recount was necessary. The Democrat presidential candidate did not bother to pursue the recount, which was brought by minor party candidates. The Democrat totals in Cuyahoga county were 2 points ahead of the exit polls, and Cuyahoga vas the extreme point for Democrats in the state of Ohio (Kerry had 2/3 of the vote in that county). In order for the election total to have changed, Kerry would have needed to poll another 9 points in Cuyahoga, meaning that more than a quarter of Bush votes in that county would have to flip to Kerry. That is statistically unlikely — the only thing the story proves is that the particular Democrats involved can not be trusted to properly count votes, and the Democrat presidential candidate could not be trusted to keep his promise of fighting until every vote was counted. Stop drinking Kool-Aid — Bush won in 2000 and 2004. If you cannot accept that, you will not be able to focus on 2008.
Two thumbs up to Neil Farr – this blog is full of Kool-Ad drinkers and posts that are less than truthful. Brad and his buddies wouldn’t know the truth if they tripped over it. Great response especially since Brad left out those convicted were lefties like himself.
>>The Democrat totals in Cuyahoga county were 2 points ahead of the exit polls…
“Democratic totals”, not “Democrat totals”. They’re the “Democratic Party”, not the “Democrat Party”.
Bai.
Election fraud, add it to the list of rights that the gov’t violates.
They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like “America Deceived” from Amazon.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina.
They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps.
They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus.
They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing.
The violate the entire Constitution by starting 2 illegal wars based on lies and on behalf of a foriegn gov’t.
Support indy media and vote for Dr. Ron Paul 2008.
Last link (unless Google Books caves to the gov’t and drops the title):
America Deceived (book)
NEIL FARR: Any comments about anyone being able to make a DIEBOLD key off a picture from the internet? Any comments, you propogandist?
re: Neil Farr #15 and AlanS #16 – Bless your hearts, you really don’t understand what just happened here, do you?
Let me see if I can make it simple enough for you to understand. Here’s what happened: Some people got lazy and didn’t want to spend the time to do a legal recount, because there was a chance that to do so would point out discrepancies in the vote counts and they might have to actually spend time and do their job. They broke the law. They’re going to jail.
Once we’re done with all of this, maybe someone here can write a “Democracy for Dummies” book.
Having said that – your posts point to the fact that you don’t give a s**t about your country and the direction in which it is headed. If you DID, you’d be celebrating with us – people who did NOT care enough about our democracy to treat it with the reverence it deserves GOT BUSTED FOR BREAKING THE LAW! Convictions like this are helping us PROVE that there are major flaws in our election system in this country – and we are working to change that, for ALL Americans – even slugs like you!
Pay attention boys – like we’re always saying here, it’s not about right and left, it’s about right and wrong.
There’s one website that has been with you all the way.
SmirkingChimp.com has been at the forefront the entire * administration. You(Brad) have several vehement supporters over there.
As for the Kool-Aid, don’t care much for it myself, unlike some of the above pos(t)ers.
I don’t believe * won either election, and damn sure not in 2000.
I guess even Kerry could see if he says anything at all now, they’ll hammer on him.
NO WAY!!! No one would do an electin no-no because it is a felony.
Remember those words of the election official in the California Bilbray election???
NO WAY!!! Say it ain’t so Brad … my faith in our faith based election system is damaged.
Oh my … Ted Haggart the anti-homo preaching evangelist and now this … oh my …
The “ballot manager Kathleen Dreamer” is well named … only dreamers could have faith in a system that requires BLIND FAITH.
It has been that way since 1988 so what could it all mean Alfie? Could it mean that our elections are only dreams?
We gotta wake up and smell the bu$hit.
Kerry dived because he could not make trouble for his Skull and Bones Brother George
Watch how this story of election fraud gets IGNORED by the MSM…
Chirp Chirp..good luck with underlings spilling their guts. Can i get 3 sieg heils for the bushit administration.. How many times can i say Scum and Bonesman/illuminati party is ONE as in 1 corporate party. the democrat/republican theft of 2004 is all the evidence you need for those who are willing to open the frigin cover of the book.
Point of interests: Ohio changes laws making it much more difficult for Presidential candidates like David Cobb to get a recount that is even a rigged recount. In these times of electronic voting fraud and massive humanistic fraud in the god ole USA, can i get a shout out to the mo-foes responsible for passing that bushit legislation?
O.T. Even though we have a new Congress the anti-environmentalist Bushit administration is still doing everything in it’s power destroy our wild lands and pollute the environment. The only way we can fight them right now since changing the laws of forestry for example 1 month after stealing the 2004 election is in COURT! Give to the non profit enviromental organizations like the NRDC and Earth Justice who go to court.
Thank you,
GBD
Chris Severheen and the US forestry department under the direction of bushit cabinet member Gale Norton is moving ahead with delisting the Grizz even though they received 212,000 comments against removing it from Federal Endangered Species Protection compared to 989 in favor. The bears might be in the bowl but their mascot is fighting for their survival in the lower 48 because of greedy mismanagement typical of the Bushit administration.
… KestrelBrighteyes said on 1/25/2007 @ 5:49 am PT…
“Convictions like this are helping us PROVE that there are major flaws in our election system in this country…”
__________________________________________________
Thank you for that post, Kestrel. It seems as if the knee-jerk reaction with some people is to twist this into some Democrats v. Republicans issue. The issue is about right and wrong. Elections officials rigged the election to avoid a thorough recount, got caught and now they’re in deep trouble. What they did is undermine our Democracy. They proved it was very easy for them to do, as well. This is serious and effects us all, not just Ohio. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere to any candidate.
These convictions are felonies, not misdemeanors. These two convicted felons will be stripped of their right to vote, as all felons are. I think this is very fitting because anyone who attemps to undermine Democracy by rigging election should never be near a voting booth again.
KestrelBrighteyes Comment #20:
Good post. I agree with the first half of your comments, and care about the country and flaws in the election system. Lazy bums given the public trust should be convicted. Kudos to Brad for keeping us informed. The Kool-Aid comment is not directed towards the story, but to those who spin it to conclude that Kerry really won the election.
Neil: Kerry DID win the election…and I do not like Kerry, btw…I’m just stating FACTS! In fact, I’ve posted here many times, that I think the 2004 Dem PRIMARY should be investigated, the exit polls (if there were any), to see if Kerry really won the Dem primary.
Look at the Dem McKinney primary!
If you think that only Dem vs. Rep elections are the ONLY races hacked…well, WHY WOULD YOU? Why would anyone? So, we think that they would hack 2 party elections, but they draw the “ethical” line with primaries???
The “spin” is that Bush won in 2004…
Neil Farr re:#27 – Hon, if you’re going to try and convince us that you’re really not trying to make it into a partisan issue, you might try not emphasizing the word DEMOCRAT so many times while making your argument. Also, I think someone’s already corrected you on this, but repetition can’t hurt – it’s DEMOCRATIC party, not DEMOCRAT party.
Now, if you truly DO care, and are interested in joining our fight for election integrity, you might want to start with a little background. There’s plenty of information right here on Bradblog. Or, you can start with this very important document that is in the Congressional Record (then come back and we’ll talk):
Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong In Ohio
And if that’s not enough to quench your thirst for knowledge, just ask – we have plenty more.
BTW, John Gideon of VotersUnite.org does a great job of keeping us up to date here in a segment he calls “Daily Voting News”. It’s well worth the read.
Oh, and for the record, I don’t like John Kerry either – and I like him even less now for breaking his promise to make sure all the votes were counted.
Always a pleasure to see us working on the same stuff Brad, particularly when it comes to the Ohio election theft. Keep fighting the good fight! See my article on this subject at
Sorry, link above was:
http://www.opednews.com/article...ions_offic.htm
Damn, just click on my name, it will take you there…
{Steve: The software will make URLs into links, or, when you use the button, just type the words you want to be the link, then close the link button and bob’s your uncle. –99}
All efforts to investigate were blocked and or thwarted by then Lt. Gov, Chief Election Official, Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign Co-chair, and eventual unsuccessful ’06 candidate for Ohio Governor, Ken Blackwell. It’s taken this long to convict these two, and they’re still not sure what other higher-ups may have been involved. The cards were stacked against Kerry pretty heavily in this fight.
Here in SW Ohio (Repug stronghold), this news doesn’t even merit mention in the local papers.
Neil and Alans: i include you in the following group:
There are plenty of believers mainly stupid white people from my experiences who think Bush beat Kerry fair and anyone who doubts or questions this corporate mass media version is simply a sore loser. Also include those who don’t support Bush’s oil war as unpatriotic because we know those wiley arabs caused 9/11 OH yeh well what arabs took down World Trade Building #7 10 hours later on 9/11? The 47 story steel concrete structure fell in 5.6 seconds. The U.S. Congress may accept the excuse of mysterious causes however controlled demolition is not a mystery to me.
Evidence
Personal Investigation
Evidence
Expert testimony
Testimony of those who couldn’t vote, vote was flipped, or any long list of crimes which OCCURRED and is well documented from the OHIO election, New Mexico election, Nevada election or Florida election of 2004. All 4 states were stolen. Then there is the 109th Congress of robots and losers Bushit yes-men who accepted the rigged electors and rubberstamped the bushit/Cheney powergrab. Also read the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Rolling Stone article that Brad has a link for on this site – was 2004 election stolen??? Yes the word eventually leaked out in the media.
advice you may have heard a long time ago: STUDY HARD.
If you look at the democratic-republican party as 1 party (republidem) self serving to greedy corporate mismanagement interests across the board then at least bonesman/illuminati man Kerry would have been different that the most losing destructor presidente who uses his power to burn the candle at both ends.
Since you probably don’t get it>
1. the human environmental crisis where every day counts AND
2. the oil war of lies which is breaking our country and causing real terrorists (not the 9/11 bush/cheney orchestrators) to grow and fester.
I have neglected perusing Brad Blog for too long. This news is remarkable for two reasons: 1. What it implies about our election procedures. 2. What it implies about the media coverage. One would have to be diligent indeed to find any mention of this verdict in the “establishment” press.
In regard to this information, I saw, late one night, a documentary about a group of citizens who are concerned about vote tallying procedures and who have pursued their own investigations into what really went on in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. The documentary showed a visit to Cuyahoga County by this watchdog group, and the slippery tactics the election officials used in responding to their inquiries. The documentary also purported to demonstrate that Diebold vote tabulator chips could be “hacked” and programmed to alter vote tabulations. Alas, as is often the way things late at night and early in the morning, I forgot to note the title of this remarkable work.
You, Brad, monitor of things to do with the keystone of a democracy–the integrity of the vote–must know the name of this documentary. I would like to know the title so that I may obtain copies of this documentary for my information and for the edification of others. Can you help me?
Cordially,
R. Lawson
The way things have been going with elections in the country lately, convictions for voting fraud should be the rule and not the exception.
This is great news, along with the conviction handed down for phone jamming. The free ride is over.
Rob Lawson #37…… The name of that fine documentary is “Hacking Democracy”
… Rob Lawson said…
“The documentary showed a visit to Cuyahoga County by this watchdog group, and the slippery tactics the election officials used in responding to their inquiries. The documentary also purported to demonstrate that Diebold vote tabulator chips could be “hacked” and programmed to alter vote tabulations.”
Sounds like the Hursti Hack.
Not “purported”… verified.
Performed by Harri Hursti at the request of, and in front of, Leon County’s election supervisor Ion Sancho… who has since paid a heavy political price for daring to allow the open testing of an e-voting machine.
The show was Hacking Democracy
http://www.hbo.com/docs/program.../synopsis.html
Speaking strictly in terms of the supposed “security” of e-voting… the show is old news. Out of date.
The various independently verifiable discoveries made since it was filmed indicate that the actual security situation has been far, far worse than portrayed in the documentary.
I suggest that Neil Farr check out this website belonging to a Republican computer security expert, Chuck Herrin.
Another Republican warrior for honest elections is Jim March, a former lobbyist for the NRA.
And they are not alone. Republicans have contested elections and Republicans have donated beaucoup bucks to citizen lawsuits and recounts.
See, Neil, here are some folks who don’t believe that winning is the only thing. They’re old-fashioned and conservative enough to believe that it isn’t if you win or lose, but how you play the game. And they want an honest game.
But I’m not saying that there aren’t some Republicans who are sore losers, because they don’t like the neo-cons taking over their party, and they never thought that Bush was the best their party could come up with. There well may be. I just haven’t met them. All the Republicans I’ve met in the election reform movement are primarily concerned with honesty, integrity, and citizen oversight of elections, something that not all Democrats really care about, as the Cuyahoga convictions demonstrate.
You can’t judge a person’s character by their political party affiliation. The convicted felons in our federal prisons include representatives of both major parties, of third parties, of independent voters, and of people who never bothered to vote at all. The only thing they all have in common is that they were convicted of felonies.
Chances are that your local Rotary Club also includes Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and unaffiliated voters, although it is unlikely to include anyone who shirks their civic duty and doesn’t bother to vote. And if there’s a Heaven, I’d venture to guess that you’d find the same demographic mix there too. This is the USA, not Democratistan or Republicanistan. Home of the free, land of the brave, and a place where, at least when it comes to voting and to moral fiber, everyone has an equal opportunity to be a crook or an honest citizen. Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice.
Thanks to Brad Blog for covering this story…it’s been awhile since I’ve posted here, and this has brought me back. Stop and recall all of the rightists and dems who sternly tsk-tsk’d any who dared state the obvious of 04′ …ugh. I linked this article at another popular dem blog yesterday and it was roundly ignored. Go figure.
to: Rob Lawson
The watchdog group is Black Box Voting — http://www.blackboxvoting.org — and the reason this thing went to trial and resulted in convictions was the videotape captured by fmr Black Box Voting Associate Director Kathleen Wynne.
There is an article at Black Box Voting .ORG including the inside information on this trial from Kathleen Wynne and those who attended and videotaped the trial.
Bev Harris
Founder – Black Box Voting
The watchdog group featured in the HBO film “Hacking Democracy”
Is Election Fraud a partisan issue?
Well, you see, I’m basically just of average intellect, not a rocket scientist, so I see this issue pretty simply.
If somebody tells me that election fraud isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue, then I think to myself, that means that it is something that is engaged in equally (or nearly so) by both parties and that the fruits of election fraud will favor both parties equally.
So, that must mean, that if I look at the last four elections (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006), I would see approximately equal instances of votes being flipped from Democrat to Republican as from Republican to Democrat. I would see equal instances of long lines in Democratic strongholds as Republican Strongholds. I would see equal hand-outs of Provisional Ballots to Democrats as Republicans. I would see nearly the same numbers for Democrats who come to the polls and are told they are at the wrong voting station or not on the rolls as for Republicans. I would see equal instances of extra votes showing up mysteriously for Republicans as for Democrats. I would see the vote counting closed down for false reasons and closed to the public equally in Democratic-controlled areas as Republican-controlled areas. In short, in every instance of electoral fraud, the results would follow a pattern of no worse than 55 percent towards one party, and 45% towards the other party (and that is being VERY generous about what would be considered approximately equal).
Hmmm. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, does it?
For some totally inexplicable reason, even though honest elections are a “non-partisan” issue, the majority — no, the PREPONDERANCE of instances of electoral fraud and abuse favor the Republican Party by a factor of 10-1. Gee, that seems a little bit out-of-line, doesn’t it?
So, that said, I can’t quite wrap my head around this idea that somehow, fighting for honest elections is a non-partisan fight.
Oh, well, I guess it WOULD be, if Republicans cared more about what was RIGHT than WINNING.
But, alas, they don’t, so, no matter how nice and friendly and inclusive anybody wants to make this issue, it comes down to this…
The Republicans control the voting apparatus and have created systems and processes that guarantee an electoral system that is unfairly biased in their favor, and they will do NOTHING to change that.
To fight for electoral reform (PAPER BALLOTS, COUNTED TRANSPARENTLY BY HAND, AND TOTALS REPORTED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL) is by definition an anti-Republican fight.
Charlie L
Portland, OR
Note to Paul Lehto:
Can the Greens sue for their money back on the recount since they didn’t get it? And, of course, attorneys’ fees as well. 🙂
Charlie L
Portland, OR
“How Do You Ask a Man to Be the Last Man to Die for the bush cheney legacy” J.O.J.
Charlie L #44
Exactly Right.
I see where these “cheap plastic” machines cost somewhere between $4,400 and $6,400. They certainly don’t cost that much to manufacture. Think about your own latest computer purchase. It doesn’t cost that much. Just another tax ripoff. We need to go to paper ballots with local control.
I went to the “www.boe.cuyahogacounty.us” county election boards and looked at their training video. Watch it closely when they show you how to correct your vote. The “X” is supposed to disappear when you change your vote. Later in the video it doesn’t when they show how to correct your vote! The machine isn’t working in the “example”. Electronic voting needs to be outlawed – permanently.
Just make sure the same thing does not happen to the DNC as ACCORN has been illegally racking up votes from illegal aliens and the dead for Democrats via Unions/AFLCIO in many elections all over the country. They made the news last time too.
We all should 1st make sure it is fair.