Ethics panel to scrutinize Md. (Diebold - SAIC) lobbyist

[dmr]

http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-voting0927,0,1771648.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

By David Nitkin
Sun Staff
Originally published September 26, 2003, 9:28 PM EDT

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. asked the State Ethics Commission Friday to examine the relationships of a well-known Annapolis lobbyist after learning that he represents competing interests in the debate over whether Maryland should buy costly new touch-screen voting machines.

Top Ehrlich aides said they did not learn until this week that Gilbert J. Genn, who was registered to lobby on behalf of Diebold Election Systems, the manufacturer of the electronic voting machines, was also authorized to represent Science Applications International Corp., hired by Ehrlich to determine whether the voting system is se cure enough to use.

"We did not know about his representation of both clients," said Henry Fawell, a spokesman for the governor. "We wish that that had been disclosed."

The ethics commission, Fawell said, could help resolve questions about whether Genn's dual roles constitute a conflict of interest that may have compromised the independence of the consultant's review, portions of which were released for the first time this week.

"We volunteered this information to the state ethics commission today so they can begin to answer those questions," Fawell said.

More .....

[Robbien]

1. If there is still time could you edit the title and add (Diebold)

after the title? This is very good news!

[dmr]

4. Thanks, good idea This is huge!

[Carmerian]

5. Ah good!

I thought you might've already gone to bed, so I posted a link to this thread over in GD to make sure this topic doesn't fall off the first page.

While there doesn't seem to be much smoke in this story, we can never be too sure with these bozos that there isn't indeed a fire. This could always be one of those loose threads that keeps getting longer and longer the more you pull on it - which is a good metaphor for the whole BBV story itself.

[revcarol]

2. QUICK, SOMEONE CALL BEV hARRIS ON THE MIKE mALLOY

SHOW AND REPORT THIS!!

I'm on dial-up.

[Robbien]

3. The show is over!

Well her part anyway. But I am so very happy right now. How could we get the word to her?

[hedda_foil]

6. Try PMing her.

[Kelvin Mace]

7. I'll pass it along to her and post to

bbv.com,

Folks, I'm exhausted and signing off shortly. Thanks to all for keeping us up to date.

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org

[ParanoidPat]

8. "We wish that that had been disclosed." .......

.....Yeah, I'll bet you did! :evilgrin:

So what happens now? In a couple of weeks the ethics commission will turn over a scathing 100 page report and a week later Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr's. office will release a heavily redacted 20 pages detailing how this f*ck up happened and swearing that new procedures are in place to keep it from ever happening again. x( SAIC will then issue a press release proclaiming the ethics commission found no problems! :crazy:

[TacticalPeek]

9. Kick KKKarl and the ass he rode in on!

:kick: