McCain Acorn Fears Overblown: Vote Tampering and Fraud Sees Seven or Eight Convictions a Year, Says Expert

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Three plead guilty in fake voter scheme

By Keith Ervin

Seattle Times staff reporter

Three of seven defendants in the biggest voter-registration fraud scheme in Washington history have pleaded guilty and one has been sentenced, prosecutors said Monday.

The defendants were all temporary employees of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, when they allegedly filled out and submitted more than 1,800 fictitious voter-registration cards during a 2006 registration drive in King and Pierce counties.

No votes were cast in the names of the phony voters. Prosecutors said the defendants committed fraud in order to keep their jobs without actually registering voters.

King County election workers brought the fraud to the attention of prosecutors last October, after noticing that signatures on many registration forms looked like they had been written by the same person.

Ryan Olson, 28, of Needles, Calif., was the first to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty Thursday in King County Superior Court to two counts of providing false information on a voter-registration application, a felony. Court Commissioner Kenneth Comstock sentenced him to 30 days in jail or in electronic home detention, the sentence recommended by prosecutors, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's Office.

Tina Johnson, 24, of Tacoma, and Jayson Woods, 20, of Elkridge, Md., also have pleaded guilty to eight counts each of registration fraud. Donohoe said prosecutors have recommended 120 days of jail for each of them using the same formula applied to Olson: 15 days for each count.

Brianna Debwa, 35, of Tacoma; Robert Greene, 56, of Tacoma; and Clifton Mitchell, 45, of Lakewood, Pierce County, have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to appear in court in November. Kendra Thill, 19, no known address, was charged with voter fraud and is wanted for failure to appear in court.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com

Which is not an indictment of ACORN whatsoever. The problem exists where organizations like ACORN pay individuals to register voters. Employee fraud happens in every business and organization. The only time you can implicate the organization itself is if there was proof that employees were committing fraud from orders above, which there isn't any....nor has their ever been any.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Fact: ACORN has implemented the most sophisticated quality-control system in the voter engagement field, but in almost every state we are required to turn in ALL completed applications, even the ones we know to be problematic.

Fact: ACORN flags incomplete, problem, or suspicious cards when we turn them in, but these warnings are often ignored by election officials. Often these same officials then come back weeks or months later and accuse us of deliberately turning in phony cards.

Fact: Our canvassers are paid by the hour, not by the card, so there is NO incentive for them to falsify cards. ACORN has a zero-tolerance policy for deliberately falsifying registrations, and in the relatively rare cases where our internal quality controls have identified this happening we have fired the workers involved and turned them in to election officials and law-enforcement.

Fact: No charges have ever been brought against ACORN itself. Convictions against individual former ACORN workers have been accomplished with our full cooperation, using the evidence obtained through our quality control and verification processes.

Fact: Voter fraud by individuals is extremely rare, and incredibly difficult. There has never been a single proven case of anyone, anywhere, casting an illegal vote as a result of a phony voter registration. Even if someone wanted to influence the election this way, it would not work.

Fact: Most election officials have recognized ACORN's good work and praised our quality control systems. Even in the cities where election officials have complained about ACORN, the applications in question represent less than 1% of the thousands and thousands of registrations ACORN has collected.

Fact: Our accusers not only fail to provide any evidence, they fail to suggest a motive: there is virtually no chance anyone would be able to vote fraudulently, so there is no reason to deliberately submit phony registrations. ACORN is committed to ensuring that the greatest possible numbers of people are registered and allowed to vote, so there is also NO incentive to "disrupt the system" with phony cards.

Fact: Similar accusations were made, and attacks launched, against ACORN and other voter registration organizations in 2004 and 2006. These attacks were not only groundless, they have since been exposed as part of the U.S. Attorneygate scandal and revealed to be part of a systematic partisan agenda of voter suppression.

These are the facts, and the truth is that a relatively small group of political operatives are trying to orchestrate hysteria about "voter fraud" and manufacture public outrage that they can use to further suppress the votes of millions of low-income and minority Americans.

These tactics are nothing new, and history has shown that they will come to nothing. We'll continue to weather the storm, as we've done for years, and we'll continue to share the truth about our work and express pride about our accomplishments.

Most importantly, we want to assure you that this good work continues, unabated and undeterred. ACORN will not be intimidated, we will not be provoked, and in this important moment in history we will not allow anyone to distract us from these vital efforts to empower our constituencies and our communities to speak for themselves. If the partisan political machines are afraid of low-income and minority voters, they're going to have to do a lot better than coming after ACORN.

After all, there are now at least 1.3 million more of them, and they will not be silenced. They're taking an interest, and taking a stand, and they'll be taking their concerns to the voting booth in November.

And ACORN will be here, to make sure that the voices of these Americans are heard, on Election Day and for every day to come.

Bertha Lewis is a senior organizer for ACORN. Steve Kest is ACORN's Executive Director. ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/10/10

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Which is not an indictment of ACORN whatsoever. The problem exists where organizations like ACORN pay individuals to register voters. Employee fraud happens in every business and organization. The only time you can implicate the organization itself is if there was proof that employees were committing fraud from orders above, which there isn't any....nor has their ever been any.

Exactly. There's no substance just tons of propaganda.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

You have issues, Steven.

I've posted a number of articles and videos about problems with ACORN from voter fraud (and, yes, fake registrations are considered to be voter fraud) to embezzlement of taxpayer money. You refuse to admit they are not an above board organization, as if somehow not doing so makes you right re the issues and a better person. It doesn't. Just because you have a cheering section on this board doesn't change the reality of the matter. ACORN is being investigated because of a consistant pattern of abuse of the system. The results of the investigation remains to be seen. I'm happy to see it, it's loooooong overdue. If you ever learn, it will be the hard way, but I will know I tried.

Three plead guilty in fake voter scheme

By Keith Ervin

Seattle Times staff reporter

Three of seven defendants in the biggest voter-registration fraud scheme in Washington history have pleaded guilty and one has been sentenced, prosecutors said Monday.

The defendants were all temporary employees of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, when they allegedly filled out and submitted more than 1,800 fictitious voter-registration cards during a 2006 registration drive in King and Pierce counties.

No votes were cast in the names of the phony voters. Prosecutors said the defendants committed fraud in order to keep their jobs without actually registering voters.

King County election workers brought the fraud to the attention of prosecutors last October, after noticing that signatures on many registration forms looked like they had been written by the same person.

Ryan Olson, 28, of Needles, Calif., was the first to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty Thursday in King County Superior Court to two counts of providing false information on a voter-registration application, a felony. Court Commissioner Kenneth Comstock sentenced him to 30 days in jail or in electronic home detention, the sentence recommended by prosecutors, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's Office.

Tina Johnson, 24, of Tacoma, and Jayson Woods, 20, of Elkridge, Md., also have pleaded guilty to eight counts each of registration fraud. Donohoe said prosecutors have recommended 120 days of jail for each of them using the same formula applied to Olson: 15 days for each count.

Brianna Debwa, 35, of Tacoma; Robert Greene, 56, of Tacoma; and Clifton Mitchell, 45, of Lakewood, Pierce County, have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to appear in court in November. Kendra Thill, 19, no known address, was charged with voter fraud and is wanted for failure to appear in court.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com

Which is not an indictment of ACORN whatsoever. The problem exists where organizations like ACORN pay individuals to register voters. Employee fraud happens in every business and organization. The only time you can implicate the organization itself is if there was proof that employees were committing fraud from orders above, which there isn't any....nor has their ever been any.

Which is not an indictment of ACORN whatsoever. The problem exists where organizations like ACORN pay individuals to register voters. Employee fraud happens in every business and organization. The only time you can implicate the organization itself is if there was proof that employees were committing fraud from orders above, which there isn't any....nor has their ever been any.

Exactly. There's no substance just tons of propaganda.

What's posted from the left is never propaganda. No . . .

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Actually, you have issues, VW. I asked a fairly simple question (should be even simpler for an alleged legal whiz like yourself): What has this organization - ACORN - ever been accused or found guilty of? And there isn't a single charge you can come up with. Not one. Which means that your accusations have no substance. None at all. They're opinion and hit pieces. That's all they are. And here you're trying to sell them as factual scandals. There's no fact supporting your drivel. So, give it up already. It's smoke and mirrors. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

[IAMX 3,055]

Indeed. Just rubbing the large font text in your face. You may proceed.

To what purpose? Why would I be affected by that? I work with the law every day.

You'd be affected by that because you've tried your hardest in our past friendly discussions to show how that translates into fake votes being cast. Patently false. Despite whatever you know about law, you certainly have a problem, which is you tow the party line, so it's incredibly easy to pass off most of your stuff as simple conservative babble.

Edited October 19, 2008 by SRVT

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Actually, you have issues, VW. I asked a fairly simple question (should be even simpler for an alleged legal whiz like yourself): What has this organization - ACORN - ever been accused or found guilty of? And there isn't a single charge you can come up with. Not one. Which means that your accusations have no substance. None at all. They're opinion and hit pieces. That's all they are. And here you're trying to sell them as factual scandals. There's no fact supporting your drivel. So, give it up already. It's smoke and mirrors. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

One of your issues is that you can't be honest with yourself. You have taken hold of this issue and absolutely refuse to see the problems. You make excuses for everything. One thing I know is that an organization with political ties and favor is rarely bought down in one fell swoop. It's a chipping away over time that does the job.

Edited October 19, 2008 by Virtual wife

[IAMX 3,055]

Actually, you have issues, VW. I asked a fairly simple question (should be even simpler for an alleged legal whiz like yourself): What has this organization - ACORN - ever been accused or found guilty of? And there isn't a single charge you can come up with. Not one. Which means that your accusations have no substance. None at all. They're opinion and hit pieces. That's all they are. And here you're trying to sell them as factual scandals. There's no fact supporting your drivel. So, give it up already. It's smoke and mirrors. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

One of your issues is that you can't be honest with yourself. You have taken hold of this issue and absolutely refuse to see the problems. You make excuses for everything. One thing I know is that an organization with political ties and favor is rarely bought down in one fell swoop. It's a chipping away over time that does the job.

You have yet to show how this is Obama's fault.

Obama has his own get-out-to-vote campaign. Separate from ACORN entirely. They are not working together. Even so, ACORN problems are with the people who are registering to make money. The problem is fraud on the lowest end of the tree. Not the highest. Unless there's something I haven't seen yet, like some leaked memo or some open press release with ACORN stating they intend to get people to register fake voters, somehow evade the safeguards against casting fake votes, and create a massive fraud with people like Mickey Mouse voting.

For someone who's worked with law, by your own words, you haven't had much of the concept of burden of proof, and you wouldn't win a civil case, never mind a criminal one. Just more nonsense for you trying to justify your own vote by witchhunt.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Indeed. Just rubbing the large font text in your face. You may proceed.

To what purpose? Why would I be affected by that? I work with the law every day.

You'd be affected by that because you've tried your hardest in our past friendly discussions to show how that translates into fake votes being cast. Patently false. Despite whatever you know about law, you certainly have a problem, which is you tow the party line, so it's incredibly easy to pass off most of your stuff as simple conservative babble.

How has it been proven that it doesn't happen?

You plan to vote for a failed candidate who has not one iota of a chance of becoming president. Somehow, you have determined that that makes you superior to others who will vote within the two major parties. How you vote is your choice, of course, but it hardly makes you king of the hill.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Actually, you have issues, VW. I asked a fairly simple question (should be even simpler for an alleged legal whiz like yourself): What has this organization - ACORN - ever been accused or found guilty of? And there isn't a single charge you can come up with. Not one. Which means that your accusations have no substance. None at all. They're opinion and hit pieces. That's all they are. And here you're trying to sell them as factual scandals. There's no fact supporting your drivel. So, give it up already. It's smoke and mirrors. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

One of your issues is that you can't be honest with yourself. You have taken hold of this issue and absolutely refuse to see the problems. You make excuses for everything. One thing I know is that an organization with political ties and favor is rarely bought down in one fell swoop. It's a chipping away over time that does the job.

Thanks for confirming yet again that smoke and mirrors and cheap propaganda is all you have to offer. Since you lack any substance to back up your ridiculous accusations in regards to ACORN, I'd say that we're done here.

[IAMX 3,055]

How has it been proven that it doesn't happen?

It isn't my assertion it doesn't happen. It's yours that it does. As well as the articles you post, which liken this to some major vote fraud like it would decide an election (i.e. these fake votes would count). When you make an assertion, YOU have the burden of proof. I'm asking you for the proof, so it's not my job to prove it otherwise. Being a person who apparently knows about law, either you're bullshitting or you simply don't give respect to "burden of proof".

You plan to vote for a failed candidate who has not one iota of a chance of becoming president. Somehow, you have determined that that makes you superior to others who will vote within the two major parties. How you vote is your choice, of course, but it hardly makes you king of the hill.

Your vote is obviously based upon how others vote. The fact that you have to make up some strategy regarding how everyone else votes, for your own vote, is pretty ridiculous and funny at the same time, and quite telling of who really feels superior. Me, I don't care how everyone else votes in relation to mine.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Actually, you have issues, VW. I asked a fairly simple question (should be even simpler for an alleged legal whiz like yourself): What has this organization - ACORN - ever been accused or found guilty of? And there isn't a single charge you can come up with. Not one. Which means that your accusations have no substance. None at all. They're opinion and hit pieces. That's all they are. And here you're trying to sell them as factual scandals. There's no fact supporting your drivel. So, give it up already. It's smoke and mirrors. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

One of your issues is that you can't be honest with yourself. You have taken hold of this issue and absolutely refuse to see the problems. You make excuses for everything. One thing I know is that an organization with political ties and favor is rarely bought down in one fell swoop. It's a chipping away over time that does the job.

You have yet to show how this is Obama's fault.

Obama has his own get-out-to-vote campaign. Separate from ACORN entirely. They are not working together. Even so, ACORN problems are with the people who are registering to make money. The problem is fraud on the lowest end of the tree. Not the highest. Unless there's something I haven't seen yet, like some leaked memo or some open press release with ACORN stating they intend to get people to register fake voters, somehow evade the safeguards against casting fake votes, and create a massive fraud with people like Mickey Mouse voting.

For someone who's worked with law, by your own words, you haven't had much of the concept of burden of proof, and you wouldn't win a civil case, never mind a criminal one. Just more nonsense for you trying to justify your own vote by witchhunt.

Obama paid ACORN $800, 000 plus to register voters for his campaign. He is not separate from ACORN.

It's not my burden to educate you when you don't want to be educated. I don't consider you to be my target audience anyway since you plan to vote ** or Republican.

I'm not a lawyer and probably would not do well as a prosecutor. Never claimed to be, and I wouldn't waste my best efforts here anyway with such a close-minded bunch. There is no need for me to justify my vote to you or anyone else. It's never occured to me that I had to. Your continual crowing about how you plan to vote for a third party lose makes me believe you are the insecure one, or, at the very least, very bitter.

Actually, you have issues, VW. I asked a fairly simple question (should be even simpler for an alleged legal whiz like yourself): What has this organization - ACORN - ever been accused or found guilty of? And there isn't a single charge you can come up with. Not one. Which means that your accusations have no substance. None at all. They're opinion and hit pieces. That's all they are. And here you're trying to sell them as factual scandals. There's no fact supporting your drivel. So, give it up already. It's smoke and mirrors. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

One of your issues is that you can't be honest with yourself. You have taken hold of this issue and absolutely refuse to see the problems. You make excuses for everything. One thing I know is that an organization with political ties and favor is rarely bought down in one fell swoop. It's a chipping away over time that does the job.

Thanks for confirming yet again that smoke and mirrors and cheap propaganda is all you have to offer. Since you lack any substance to back up your ridiculous accusations in regards to ACORN, I'd say that we're done here.

The OP is propaganda. There has yet to be anything posted from Steven that isn't. You just happen to prefer fantasy to reality. Not everyone does.

[IAMX 3,055]

Obama paid ACORN $800, 000 plus to register voters for his campaign. He is not separate from ACORN.

It isn't Obama's fault for ACORNS subsidiary hiring people who try to register fake voters. It's ACORNs fault for the way they have their workers profit, which is akin to many "sales reps" of all sorts.

It's not my burden to educate you when you don't want to be educated. I don't consider you to be my target audience anyway since you plan to vote ** or Republican.

I'm not a lawyer and probably would not do well as a prosecutor. Never claimed to be, and I wouldn't waste my best efforts here anyway with such a close-minded bunch. There is no need for me to justify my vote to you or anyone else. It's never occured to me that I had to. Your continual crowing about how you plan to vote for a third party lose makes me believe you are the insecure one, or, at the very least, very bitter.

Really? I don't see myself posting how I'm voting in every post I make. It's you who referenced my vote. I guess you're me though. Please stop living vicariously though me. I must also be making you give shoddy excuses and try to make yourself out to be some brilliant law scholar. What's your law thesis on, Wikiology?

Edited October 19, 2008 by SRVT

[Sofiyya 1,687]

How has it been proven that it doesn't happen?

It isn't my assertion it doesn't happen. It's yours that it does. As well as the articles you post, which liken this to some major vote fraud like it would decide an election (i.e. these fake votes would count). When you make an assertion, YOU have the burden of proof. I'm asking you for the proof, so it's not my job to prove it otherwise. Being a person who apparently knows about law, either you're bullshitting or you simply don't give respect to "burden of proof".

You try to wiggle out of posting proof by claiming you don't have that burden although you want people to take your position. You must like to get the credit without doing any heavy lifting.

You plan to vote for a failed candidate who has not one iota of a chance of becoming president. Somehow, you have determined that that makes you superior to others who will vote within the two major parties. How you vote is your choice, of course, but it hardly makes you king of the hill.

Your vote is obviously based upon how others vote. The fact that you have to make up some strategy regarding how everyone else votes, for your own vote, is pretty ridiculous and funny at the same time, and quite telling of who really feels superior. Me, I don't care how everyone else votes in relation to mine.

My vote is based on my determinations. Third party voters are escapists who want to be able to say they had nothing to do with the guy who got elected, so they aren't responsible if they stink in office. You want to vote without the responsibility of the vote. As there are plenty here touting their support of Obama and giving each other hi-fives, your assertions are blanketed upon many, not just upon me.

Edited October 19, 2008 by Virtual wife

[IAMX 3,055]

You try to wiggle out of posting proof by claiming you don't have that burden although you want people to take your position. You must like to get the credit without doing any heavy lifting.

Yawwwwnnnn.

My position is if you want to make a claim, back it up. You seem to have a problem with this, and, you, yourself, "work with the law every day". How come you're so terrible at playing by the law's rules? It's very simple. I wouldn't have anything to argue with you about if you could show how people are voting using fake names and determining the outcome of an election, as the crying goes on about, like it's some election apocalypse to get Obama in the WH. I'd gladly join your side and attack this if you could even show this is happening. I have no vested interest in defending Obama.

However, you can't, and your only defense is attacking me, which really means 3 things.

1. Your argument sucks.

2. Attacking people does not give credence to your argument or make your assertion any more valid.

3. I'm going to keep pestering you about it until you can come up with the proof, until the election. No sense in letting you get away with claims you can't back up.

You want to vote without the responsibility of the vote.

Oh how little we know. I've been attacked by "liberals" or "Democrats" for helping Republicans win by not voting Democrat. Not just once, either. So evidently I get responsibility no matter how I vote. Too bad you can't see it. I experience it.