INDIANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY HEAD RESIGNS AS FRAUD PROBE HEATS UP

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The chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party announced his resignation Monday, as investigators probe allegations of election fraud stemming from the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.

Dan Parker, who served for seven years, did not cite the scandal as a reason for his decision. But the uproar over possible fraud in a race for the White House has already claimed the job of one county Democratic Chairman, who sources say was forced out because of the allegations.

Numerous signatures on petitions that placed then-candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the party's primary ballot were allegedly forged and then certified by the St. Joseph County Voter Registration Office in South Bend.

St. Joseph County Prosecutor Mike Dvorak has launched an investigation.

Parker, in a statement, said that "after seven years, it is time for a new leader to embrace our past successes and take up our future challenges." He also wrote that "I love the Indiana Democratic Party, and it has been my great honor to serve at its Chair."

Benjamin Ray, the Indiana Democratic Party press secretary, told Fox News that the forgery allegations involving the presidential primary petitions were not a factor in Parker's decision to step down.

"No, absolutely not," Ray said.

The alleged forgeries have raised the question whether the Obama campaign actually filed the necessary number of signatures, 500 from the county, to get on the state's primary ballot. The 534 signatures that were certified to place Obama's name in contention, were never challenged. 704 signatures were certified for Clinton, according to state elections officials. An estimated 150 of the signatures on both petitions may be fakes, leaving open the possibility that, in at least President Obama's case, the number of legal signatures that were required to get on the ballot was not reached.

Several voters told Fox News that they never signed nor gave their names that appeared on the Obama petitions.

"It's scary," Charity Rorie said, adding that her signature and name, and those of her husband, were faked.

"It's shocking ... it definitely is illegal.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/12/indiana-democratic-party-head-resigns-as-fraud-probe-heats-up/#ixzz1h5voxeS8