Republican Clackamas Co. elections employee Deanna Swenson indicted on ballot tampering charges

[Coyotl]

Last edited Sat Dec 1, 2012, 10:37 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/11/former_clackamas_county_electi.html
By Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian- Nov 29, 2012

OREGON CITY -- A Clackamas County grand jury on Wednesday indicted Deanna Swenson, 55, on charges of ballot tampering.

Swenson, a part-time temporary elections employee and a registered Republican, allegedly filled in down-ballot races left blank to cast additional votes for Republicans.

Swenson, a Beavercreek resident, is charged with two counts each of unlawfully altering a cast ballot, unlawfully voting more than once and first-degree official misconduct.

State investigators said they believe Swenson acted alone and found no evidence others were involved.

Jeff Manning, spokesman for the state Department of Justice, declined to specify the number of ballots Swenson is suspected of altering. .....

[Coyotl]

1. Willamette Week: State Indicts Clackamas County Elections Worker for Ballot Tampering

The WW has been covering this from instant one, breaking the story when it occurred.

State Indicts Clackamas County Elections Worker for Ballot Tampering
November 29th, 2012 By NIGEL JAQUISS - http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29501-state_indicts_clackamas_county_elections_worker_for_ballot_tampering.html

A Clackamas County grand jury has indicted a county elections worker with ballot tampering after she was discovered filling votes for Republican candidates during this fall’s elections.

Deanna Swenson, 55, of Oregon City, was charged with six counts—four felonies and two misdemeanors—after state Elections Division officials asked for a criminal investigation, as first reported by WW. The Oregon Department of Justice is prosecuting the case.

....

Swenson told WW that there were only two ballots involved. But Secretary of State Kate Brown later said there might have been as many as six ballots involved. The investigation has raised more questions about way in which Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall has overseen the county’s elections office, although the indictment issued today suggests Swenson was acting alone.

Here is the statement DOJ released this morning: ......

.... two counts of unlawfully altering a cast ballot, two counts of unlawfully voting more than once, and two counts of first-degree official misconduct. ....

[malaise]

2. She says she has a health problem

One more sick ReTHUG

Bring out the violins!!

[Coyotl]

3. This was on local T-V broadcasts, w/a real sob story instead of a Tea Party activist story. Coached?

I have the impression her attorney has her well-rehearsed on the violins front.
No mention of her radical right-wing politics either. They took command of their storyline.

[Coyotl]

6. Accused Elections Worker Says She Doesn't Remember

Accused Elections Worker Says She Doesn't Remember
OPB = By April Baer - http://www.nwpr.org/post/accused-elections-worker-says-she-doesnt-remember

LISTEN: http://cpa.ds.npr.org/nwpr/audio/2012/11/ACCUSED%20ELCTIONS%20WORKER%20.mp3

A Clackamas County woman indicted on felony charges of ballot tampering spoke out Thursday, saying she had no agenda to try to influence election results, and that she does not remember the moments when the alleged violations occurred.

In a press conference, carried by KATU Channel 2 News, Deanna Swenson apologized to her husband and family for all the trouble the charges have caused. She also disputed prosecutors' story of what happened.

"I never intentionally did anything that the press say I did."

Reporter: "Deanna, do you remember doing this?"

"That's just it, I don't. I don't remember. When the co-worker pulled the paper from my hand, that's when I realized what I'm being charged for."

....

Who is the female reporter throw the softball question?

[Ineeda]

7. Funny that 'she doesn't remember' doing it.

So how does she know that she didn't? So glad she is charged.

[SemperEadem]

10. exactly... ignorance of the law is no excuse

and her handwriting is her handwriting.

anyone who takes a job like she has understands that changing a cast ballot is a crime. I know that and I don't work for the elections board, am not in the office day after day and do not draw my income from one.

she can get medical treatment in prison.

she knew very well what she was doing--she just doesn't want to pay the price.

now had it been some homeless person who stole a pair of shoes, if they'd hired this lawyer, they'd tell them to take a deal, not coach them to act like "oh my oh my, I think I have the vapors!!"

if prison is the remedy, then prison it should be for her.

[malaise]

23. I'm betting it will be even funnier

when we find out numbers.

[geckosfeet]

12. Those statements are absurd.

So far it is looking like she deserves the maximum penalty for this crime.

[Coyotl]

17. Especially in light of her discussing it with a reporter earlier!

She remembered well enough to claim it was "only the two" she was caught with when interviewed by a local paper, Willamette Week. So, this forget shit excuse is just that, a shit excuse that doesn't fly.

Maybe hiring a lawyer is a danger to one's memory and mental health

[bahrbearian]

16. The Ronald Reagan Defense, it works every time.

[Frank Cannon]

27. And Reagan got it from Steve Martin.

"I forgot that bank robbery was illegal."

[HiPointDem]

18. what? someone pulled the ballot from her hand while she was altering it & she says she

doesn't remember?

[Coyotl]

20. Her story keeps changing, that much is certain.

[hobbit709]

25. When the alibi changes every 5 minutes,, somebody LYING.

[Coyotl]

4. Business Journal: Clackamas County election worker indicted in ballot altering case

Clackamas County election worker indicted in ballot altering case
Portland Business Journal by Erik Siemers - Nov29, 2012 - http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2012/11/29/clackamas-county-election-worker.html

Swenson was removed from her post processing county election ballots after another election worker claimed to see her marking a ballot that had been only partially filled in. The allegations arose two weeks prior to the Nov. 6 national election during Oregon's vote-by-mail election process.

.........

The subsequent investigation found no evidence of involvement by any others.

The first four charges against Swenson are Class C felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison based on state sentencing guidelines and a $125,000 fine. The misconduct charges are Class A misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $6,250 fine. ........

[Coyotl]

5. Previously on DU: BREAKING: Ballot tampering suspect identified - and she's a right-wing activist

BREAKING: Ballot tampering suspect identified - and she's a right-wing activist
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014292507

This guy has been watching Clackamas County elections officials for a while.
http://ouroregon.org/sockeye/blog

Pens, pencils banned from Clackamas counting room
Portland Business Journal - Andy Giegerich - Nov 5

72. WW asked her how many ballots were involved, and Swenson replied tearfully, “Only the two.”

Meanwhile, her Facebook page with all the wing-nut stuff is gone from the web.
https://www.facebook.com/deanna.swenson.9
The page you requested was not found.
One of her friend is still visible. Interests: Jesus, Holy Spirit, God

100. OR: Observers keep sharp eye on ballot “enhancement”

[efhmc]

9. Were they able to id those votes and remove them?

[me b zola]

21. They threw out the ballots in question

They said that they had no way to track down the people who casts those particular ballots.

[DallasNE]

11. The Ends Justify The Means

That is one of the things that sets aside the tea baggers from regular people. They have no moral compass and when caught they deny it happens and say they don't remember.

[homegirl]

13. $10K

Five years in a Federal penitentiary and a $10K fine would be too good for her. Time to send a message to those who would subvert our voting rights. Tea Baggers-BEWARE!

[progressoid]

14. I saw this story on Fox News too.

NOT!

[toddwv]

15. IDs would've fixed that.

No, I'm being super cereal!

[sendero]

19. The Repugs..

... are soooooo effing worried about voter/election fraud, well here is some.

And guess what surprise, surprise surprise, it's not some shifty negro it is one of your own.

Prison seems fair, that's what they'd do to a person casting a single illegal vote and I suspect this person did a lot more than one.

[Coyotl]

22. A statistical analysis of the voting patterns in Oregon seems to be in order!

What is the pattern in the down-ticket vote percentages. Any anomalous stats in Clackamas County, other Oregon counties.

This sure would be an easy way to fix elections, fill in the blanks on a bunch of ballots, and vote a lot of times in other major races like Congress in a Presidential year. The Oregon House hung in the balance this year too, but Dems broke the 30-30 tie this time.

[Coyotl]

24. Deanna Swenson says prescription drug clouded her cognitive thinking

Deanna Swenson, Clackamas County elections worker accused of ballot tampering, says prescription drug clouded her thinking
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/11/deanna_swenson_clackamas_count.html
By Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian November 29, 2012

Deanna Swenson ... said a prescription drug affected her cognitive thinking at the time of the alleged incident ... apologized to her family and community this afternoon and said a prescription drug she was taking at the time of the incident clouded her cognitive thinking.

"I apologize first to my husband," said an emotional Swenson, 55, as she sat in her attorney's office. "I totally devastated his life by this. I apologize to my family, to my friends, to my community and everybody else affected by this incident."

.........

Her attorney, Jason Short, said she will plead not guilty at her Dec. 4 arraignment, possibly invoking a defense based on her mental state at the time of the incident.

"We're not necessarily challenging if she filled out the ballot or not," Short said. "If there are other witnesses, we're not going to challenge that."

.........

[hobbit709]

26. Ah yes, the "I was high on drugs at the time" defense.

[Frank Cannon]

28. It's well known that prescription-strength Sudafed...

will cause you to commit felonies that you're not aware of doing.

[hobbit709]

29. My response to that excuse has always been

"I've been so fried on drugs that I had to look at my ID to remember who I was but it never made me do THAT."

[Coyotl]

30. I got caught this time because I was too high on meds

"Usually, I'm very careful about committing crimes and taking 'cognitive thinking' drugs at the same time"