Special prosecutor to probe alleged voter fraud in Hamilton County (Ohio)

[sabra]

Source: Business Courier of Cincinnati

Hamilton County Judge Norbert Nadel has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of voter fraud among 610 people who cast ballots in Hamilton County between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6.

The appointment of local attorney Mike O’Neill comes as Hamilton County’s Board of Elections prepares to address allegations of impropriety among people who both registered to vote and voted in the one-week window between the start of mail-in voting and the deadline for voter registration in Ohio.

O’Neill’s appointment also comes amid disclosures by Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters that his office found problems with more than 40 percent of the 610 ballots, which were subpoenaed by his office Friday. Deters told WLW-AM 700 talk show host Bill Cunningham that he became convinced early last weekend that voter fraud had been committed in Hamilton County.

...

Deters is the Southwest Ohio chairman of the McCain-Palin campaign, leading Democrats to accuse the county prosecutor of pursuing charges for political purposes. O’Neill is a former assistant prosecutor under Deters.

Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/20/daily11.html

[Robbien]

1. How is it that GOPers get immediate action when complaining Acorn

But Dems get no reaction when complaining about caging or machine fraud.

[unpossibles]

3. they get pre-immediate action because they fired the prosecutors, attorneys and judges who

refused to play against the rules. That's what Attorneygate was all about.

[WCGreen]

5. County prosecutors are elected in Ohio...

As are the Judges...

[unpossibles]

14. true, I was not thinking of that level

but it's still the same game they played.

[Enthusiast]

17. And they are often sympathetic to

Republican wishes.

[depakid]

4. Because Democrats don't pursue these matters with the same vigor

and, like battered spouses, have allowed Republicans to use disenfranchisement and election fraud as part of a broad strategy for years.

[Eric J in MN]

2. "found problems with more than 40 percent of the 610 ballots"

Like what?

[eagertolearn]

6. Probably the changes he made after he got them! I'm sure someone called to

say they committed voter fraud and I bet it's the same one who filled out Mickey Mouse on registrations. These repugs will go to any means to disenfranchise voters in great masses!

[gratuitous]

15. When you're looking for "problems"

Let's see, change of address, "John J. Smith" instead of "John Jacob Smith," a newlywed woman now going by her married name, a newly divorced woman re-assuming her maiden name, address listed as Main Street instead of Main St.

Heck, there are all kinds of things that look like problems if you're looking hard enough for them. The pertinent question, however, is whether any of this amounts to "fraud" in terms of someone casting a ballot they aren't entitled to cast. In none of these examples is a person voting fraudulently. But it sure puts the fear of God into first-time or newly-motivated voters, and the Republicans are betting that a high proportion of those sorts of voters will want to vote for Obama. They might disenfranchise a couple of their own people by mistake, but if they can nullify a ballot for thousands of Democratic voters, it’s a trade they’re willing to make.

This is also why the federal Department of Justice has strict guidelines against bringing this sort of action within a certain time before an election (I don’t recall if it’s 30 or 60 days), because the risk of intimidating voters outweighs whatever value might be gained by moving against potentially (but not proven) fraudulent ballots. Apparently, the state of Ohio has no such compunction against intimidating voters.

[Eric J in MN]

18. HAVA bans purging voters during the 90 days before an election.

(with some exceptions, like if someone dies or writes the Election Board that he moved.)

[struggle4progress]

7. Board of Elections to Discuss Possible Fraud

The board will meet in emergency session later today
By 700WLW News
Monday, October 20, 2008

(Cincinnati) - The Hamilton County Board of Elections will meet in emergency session later today to talk about potential voter fraud in the county ...

The meeting announcement follows a subpoena from Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters .... the Southwest Ohio Campaign Chairman for John McCain.

The Board of Elections wants to stop Deter's investigation, saying they have the authority to do the investigation. They say the details of that investigation would be made public, unlike one conducted by the prosecutor.

The Ohio Secretary of State says no voter fraud has been reported in Hamilton County ...

http://www.700wlw.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=119585&article=4433317

[struggle4progress]

8. Deters steps out of voter probe

By Kimball Perry • and Howard Wilkinson • October 20, 2008

... The O'Neill appointment came after Tim Burke ... asked Deters to step down from the investigation ...

O’Neill, 31, is a graduate of Wyoming High School, Indiana University and the University of Cincinnati Law School.

The registered Republican said he will begin his investigation today by reviewing the information already gathered by Deters’ office and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office ...

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081020/NEWS0106/310200039

[Eric J in MN]

11. "Another 100 didn’t have the same address listed in the data bases."

Gee, it's almost as if people move.

[LiberalFighter]

12. They appointed a special prosecutor that is 31 years old?

What are his qualifications besides being a damn Republican?

Can he see Russia from his backyard?

[struggle4progress]

9. Gov. Strickland accuses GOP of scare tactics

By Stephen Majors
Associated Press

POSTED: 01:22 p.m. EDT, Oct 20, 2008

COLUMBUS: Ohio Republicans are trying to scare newly registered voters by filing lawsuits that question their eligibility, the state's Democratic governor said today.

Gov. Ted Strickland also accused the GOP of trying to distract voters from real issues.

''In the last few days the Republicans have tried to instill fear in Ohio voters about whether their registrations to vote will be challenged and whether they will be able to cast a ballot,'' Strickland said at a news conference with other Democratic leaders, including U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman.

''We condemn these attacks which we find despicable. Ohioans deserve better than what they are getting from John McCain and the Republican Party,'' Strickland said ...

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/31284524.html

[Roland99]

10. Perfect example of why NO elected or appointed official should work for a campaign

Impartial? HA!

[CitizenPatriot]

13. again, in revealing this "investigation", the GOP is guilty of violating

the election code of not using such investigations to influence elections. A charge already brought against the DoJ and GOP by the Obama campaign late last week.

Every election: same bs.

[sasquatch]

16. Only a douchebag runs to speak to Bill Cunningham about official buisness

[yellowcanine]

19. This is voter intimidation. Federal Civil Rights suit should be filed.

These cases aren't supposed to be prosecuted until after the election to avoid scaring legitimate voters away.

[SoCalDem]

20. If the LAW said it was okay to register AND vote right away,

and if people DID both, then so be it...

99% of our "voting problem", is HOW we register people and that we even MAKE them register..

Every 18 yr old citizen should have a NATIONAL Voter ID card..

and every parolee should get their card back when they finish parole..

every naturalization ceremony should include a voter ID card...

[ProgressiveEconomist]

21. I can't think of a better way to limit Obama turnout than to PROSECUTE ordinary

people just for the act of voting. This Hamilton County tactic apparently is one for the books.

IMO a high priority for the Obama administration is to establish commonsense NATIONAL mandatory standards for election administration. And prosecutorial dragnets for ordinary early voters in October have to be defined as criminal prosecutorial misconduct.