Voter Fraud Used For GOP Political Gain

The White House has had so many reports rewritten to suit their political purposes that it isn't even news anymore. This time it's the bogus voter fraud story they are pushing.

WASHINGTON, April 10 — A federal panel responsible for conducting election research played down the findings of experts who concluded last year that there was little voter fraud around the nation, according to a review of the original report obtained by The New York Times.

Instead, the panel, the Election Assistance Commission, issued a report that said the pervasiveness of fraud was open to debate.

Republicans have used the voter fraud cover story to make voting more difficult for monorites and the poor. This letter to John Ashcroft by members of Congress outraged that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement mysteriously unsolved voter fraud investigation. (No link.)

We are deeply disturbed by recent reports that raised concerns that an investigation being conducted by Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers was intimidating elderly members of Orlando's African-American community. The "visits", according to the police officers involved, were part of an investigation of voter fraud allegations that arose during the mayoral election in March of this year (2004.)

The winner of the election was Democrat Buddy Dyer. He was suspended as Mayor and later charges were dropped.

Special prosecutor Brad King dropped all charges against Dyer and three co-defendants -- campaign manager Patti Sharp, political consultant Ezzie Thomas and Circuit Judge Alan Apte.

Gov. Jeb Bush promptly lifted the suspension that barred Dyer, 46, from holding public office. City officials immediately scrapped plans for a special election two weeks from now, while candidates reacted with consternation at the newest twist in the increasingly surreal world of Orlando politics.

The FDLE statement said, "... it was determined that there was no basis to support the allegations of election fraud concerning these absentee ballots. Since there is no evidence of criminal misconduct involving Mayor Dyer, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement considers this matter closed." Yet, they questioned elderly blackvoters after releasing this statement. The head of FDLE, at the time, was Guy Tunnell.