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GOP Voter Fraud Bigwig Complained to White House about Canned U.S. Attorney
The case for Republican voter fraud complaints being at the root of yet another U.S. attorney firing just got a lot stronger.
The U.S. attorney here is Todd Graves, the U.S. attorney for Kansas City who was fired in January of last year. And Murray Waas, reporting for National Journal, reports that Mark "Thor" Hearne, the GOP operative behind the American Center for Voting Rights -- the conservative organization that served to spread allegations of widespread voter fraud and push voter ID laws as the cure -- had complained to the White House and senior officials in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division about Graves' lack of commitment to the cause:
In the case involving ACORN, Hearne had urged the Justice Department long before the election to investigate the activist organization and similar groups that registered Democrats. When Hearne came to believe that the U.S. attorney for western Missouri, Todd Graves, was not taking seriously allegations that ACORN workers were registering people who did not qualify to vote, he took his complaints to senior officials in Justice’s Civil Rights Division and to the White House, according to a former Justice official and a private attorney who worked with Hearne. The private attorney said in an interview that Hearne boasted to him about having discussions with administration officials who wanted Graves replaced. The White House declined to comment on any of its discussions with Hearne.
Waas notes that there's no direct evidence that Hearne's complaints led to Graves' dismissal. But Graves' case is starting to look a lot like two others that have drawn plenty of suspicion: David Iglesias of New Mexico and John McKay of Washington. In both those cases, state Republicans' brought their complaints to the White House and the leadership at the Justice Department. In Iglesias' case, both the president and Karl Rove himself echoed those complaints to the Justice Department.
And a complaint from Hearne would have gotten special attention. Hearne is reportedly close to Rove, and served as national election counsel for the 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign.
There's an additional fact which makes this case even more suspicious. Graves was replaced by Bradley Schlozman, a former senior political appointee at the Civil Rights Division who oversaw the voting rights section. According to Waas, Hearne brought his complaints about Graves to "senior officials in Justice’s Civil Rights Division." These were complaints about voting cases, which means the complaints most likely went to Schlozman himself -- or his right hand Hans Von Spakovsky. After Schlozman was installed in Graves' place, he brought an indictment against four ACORN workers days before the election in 2006. So it looks a lot like Hearne got his wish.
Schlozman, remember, will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee this coming Tuesday. That hearing promises to be very interesting.
Update: Rick Hasen has more over at the Election Law blog.
Josh
Zachary
Read bradblog to see how instrumental Hearne was in pushing electronic voting. Turning a blind eye to machines that did not work or were openly found to switch votes from dem. to repub. Why isn't this man in jail? Guess the same reason the House wouldn't investigate repub. reps. who stole the election process to get to congress. In the Curtis/ Fenney race in Fla. ...Curtis had signatures that showed the vote wasn't fair in Fla. Guess the reason our dems. wouldn't investigate? Not enough evidence.
May 31, 2007 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul, you've giving AC4VR way to much credit calling them a "think tank."
They were, in reality, a PR exercise stood up by mysterious donors and largely run out of the Holtzman-Vogel boutique law firm in Northern Virginia.
Holtzman-Vogel is home to various dirty tricksters including:
Jill Holtzman-Vogel: former RNC general counsel (might she know something about gwb43.com?)
Alex Vogel: former Frist senior counsel
Jason Torchinsky: former Bush-Cheney '04 counsel, graduate of the DOJ Civil Rights division and Swift-Boats for truth bagman.
The RNC has sent a lot of money to Holtzman-Vogel Law -- I wonder if H-V is serving as a pass through to all of these phony groups?
May 31, 2007 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
ACORN might consider bringing a Bivens action against the DOJ and WH employees.
May 31, 2007 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul Kiel, may I be the first to say:
YOU ROCK!
Thor Hearne represented ACVR as an election reform expert at a House Administration Committee Hearing held in Columbus, OH in March of 2005, chaired at the time by no other than Bob Ney R-Federal Prison. We believed we had the proof that Af Am voters were denied equal protection in voting including the mis-allocation of machines in low income Af Am precincts, caging, purges, and GOP dirty tricks.
This is all starting to point to the criminal activity which lead to the second Bush "win". Conyers and the Dem House Judiciary Committee were the only ones who took us seriously after the '04 theft in Ohio (and it wasn't just Ohio). I am truly hoping this is all part of Conyers et al, master plan to expose has what occurred with our election system.
May 31, 2007 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Everyone behind the American Center for Voting Rights" is a GOP operative, not just Mark "Thor" Hearne.
For one, Patrick J. "Pat" Rogers of New Mexico is a director and secretary of the affiliated American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund. Yes, that Pat Rogers.
On 2/16/06, Jason Torchinsky and Robin DeJarnette, ACVR assistant general counsel and ACVR executive director, respectively, testified before the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) as expert witnesses - http://tinyurl.com/34optd
. (How DeJarnette, a lobbyist, qualifies as an expert witness in election law is beyond me.)
When Patrick L. "Pat" Rogers testified before the EAC on 3/6/06, however, he identified himself only as a "private attorney" in New Mexico. Why didn't Rogers properly identify himself to the EAC? Too many ACVR "expert witnesses"?
Murray Waas spelled Brian Lunde's names as "Bryan." On the ACVRFL corporate registration and other records, it is spelled "Brian". In any case, Lunde was held out by the ACVR as a Democrat, thus lending an air of bipartisanship to the organization. But in 2004, Lunde was co-chairman of Democrats for Bush along with Zell Miller. In fact, Lunde's support for Bush dates back to 2000.
A GOP front that appears to have escaped detection for the most part is the Free Enterprise Coalition. Prior to 2004, the Coalition appears to have been inactive. In 2004, it received $2.8 million in direct contributions, according to the 2004 990.
Between 2004 and 2005, the Free Enterprise Coaltion spent more than $2.5 million on election-related legal expenses. For one, the Coalition funded a Ohio lawsuit against ACORN and the NAACP, alleging that both groups enticed people to register to vote with crack cocaine. Nice, huh?
I posted three blog entries about the American Center for Voting Rights, the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund and the Free Coalition this past week at the TPM Cafe (link below)if anyone is interested in names, 990s, etc.
May 31, 2007 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thor looks like a cross between Andy Richter and Matt Damon.
May 31, 2007 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
were there any major media appearances by this group. if so, what have those outlets done as follow-up.
oh, silly me. never mind.
May 31, 2007 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
were there any major media appearances by this group. if so, what have those outlets done as follow-up.
oh, silly me. never mind.
May 31, 2007 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
were there any major media appearances by this group. if so, what have those outlets done as follow-up.
oh, silly me. never mind.
May 31, 2007 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
were there any major media appearances by this group. if so, what have those outlets done as follow-up.
oh, silly me. never mind.
May 31, 2007 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
were there any major media appearances by this group. if so, what have those outlets done as follow-up.
oh, silly me. never mind.
May 31, 2007 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
were there any major media appearances by this group. if so, what have those outlets done as follow-up.
oh, silly me. never mind.
May 31, 2007 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whatever they are complaining about the loudest, they are doing the most.
May 31, 2007 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Molly is right. BradBlog has been all over this for a month. Every time he posts the links between voter fraud and the USA scandal I've emailed the TPM tips. I've never see a mention or a link to Brad's site on TPM. Best comprehensive coverage of all voting issues and he has been covering them since the 2000 debacle. What is the reason TPM avoids any mention of Brad's work?
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4447
Further, Hearne has been publicly recognized (though usually in only the RNC-friendliest of locations) for his efforts on behalf of GOP elections by his friend Rove, as well as both Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. See this Lathrop & Gage PDF two-pager including quotes from both Rove and Bush singing Thor's praises. (Don't worry. If that PDF, like so much else of late concerning Thor's activities, including the ACVR website as we reported a few weeks ago, gets scrubbed from the Internets, we've already got a copy saved, along with much of the other Thor-stuff that's been disappearing since the U.S. Attorney scandal broke.)
May 31, 2007 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can we start calling it "Republican election fraud," which it is? The reason for "complaining" about Democratic or left-wing "voter fraud" is to put up a smokscreen for the Republican electrion fraud. Getting minority and Democratic voters off the rolls (military absentees, students, voter ID requirements, and so on) removed or frustrated the votes of thousands, and probably gave Bush his "victories." These were planned criminal actions. The supposed "voter fraud" was almost 100% minor incidents of bad registration - how many states declined to prosecute since there was no evidence of actual fraud at the polls (by single voters, not wholesale manipulation by Republicans)??
So lets' start using "Republican election fraud" in the headlines and the text. Because that's what it is, and was.
May 31, 2007 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure makes the Watergate "plumbers" look like rank amateurs, doesn't it?
May 31, 2007 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or at least put "voter fraud" in quotes to make it understood it's a canard.
May 31, 2007 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
He looks mad as hell in that pic and has kookoo eyes- probably because he's sick of people telling him he looks like Andy Richter. What a dick.
May 31, 2007 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
The American Center for Voting Rights was a setup from the beginning.
An American Center for Voting Rights was registered in the District of Columbia on 1/24/05. The GOP must have had second thoughts about a DC registration because another American Center for Voting Rights was registered on 3/3/05 in Virginia to a post office box in Newport Beach, California.
The post office box more than likely belongs to Ann K. Browning, ACVR director. I know Ann K. Browning is a big Republican Party lawyer but I couldn't find any other information about her. Might be worth pursuing.
Ann K. Browning's entry in the Republican National Lawyers Association directory (rnla.org):
Ms. Ann K. Browning
Regular Member
Office:
4590 MacArthur Blvd, #560
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949-290-7464
Fax: 800-858-4092
Email: akb100@pacbell.net
Practice Areas:
Estates/Probate
Nonprofit
Small Business
So the American Center for Voting Rights did not just spring up in March 2005 to testify to Chairman Bob "Looks good in stripes" Ney's Government Administration Committee. It had been in business since January 2005.
The SJC needs to ask Barry Schlozman about what he did with the information submitted to the DOJ by the ACVR.
From the ACVR website in the internet archives (link below):
"March 21, 2005
ACVR Refers Voter Fraud Investigation To Department of Justice, Congressional Oversight Panel - Report Shows Third Party Effort to Circumvent Law and Register Illegal Voters
Contact: Jim Dyke, 843/722-9670
COLUMBUS, OHIO - Today the American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR) referred a compendium of preliminary findings of registration fraud, intimidation, vote fraud and litigation to the U.S. Department of Justice. The report was previously made available to the House Administration Committee who will hold a field hearing on election fraud in Columbus today.
The Ohio report states, "Third party organizations, especially ACT, ACORN and NAACP engaged in a coordinated "Get Out the Vote" effort. A significant component of this effort appears to be registering individuals who would cast ballots for the candidate supported by these organizations. This voter registration effort was not limited to the registration of legal voters but, criminal investigations and news reports suggest, that this voter registration effort also involved the registration of thousands of fictional voters such as the now infamous Jive F. Turkey, Sr., Dick Tracy and Mary Poppins. Those individuals registering these fictional voters were reportedly paid not just money to do so but were, in at least one instance, paid in crack cocaine."
See how this was coordinated? The Free Enterprise Coalition was funding the Ohio crack cocaine lawsuit which I think had already been filed. The lawsuit, btw, was dismissed in October 2005.
May 31, 2007 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does it not seem obvious... it is tragic .... that their Repub party candidates think they can not win an election on the basic merits of their candidate...so much so, that they need to tamper with elections and use ficticious vitriolic personal attacks against their opposition, even when against their own party members.
(If McCain wasn't even man enough stand up to and battle the "sired a black baby" Rove ploy against him, how is he man enough to protect America?"P
When one of "theirs" decides to use election tampering and/or vitriolic attacks the opposition should respond with the fact that the candidate's attacks and election rhetoric exposes the lack of ability for them to run their election based on his/her personal merits
May 31, 2007 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, y'alls might as well make other plans for Tuesday. Ain't no hearing gonna happen. We predict Bradley J. Schlozman will invoke the Fifth. If he actually has to answer questions about hiring, harassing and firing at the Civil Rights Division, he risks being asked whether he compiled his own list of targeted career employees - and eventually might have to admit, in essence, that for the DOJ political operatives "'liberal' is the new 'commie'" -
With the OIG and OPR investigations portending criminal referrals, our chips say the Schloz has to invoke.
May 31, 2007 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hello? maybe if someone here were to take the time to watch the videotaped interview with David Iglesias on Truthout you would see that Iglesias also says he was pressured by American Center for Voting Rights.
Seems that you're doing your readers a disservice by knowingly ignoring the interview simply because of the journalist who conducted it.
May 31, 2007 4:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
PrgrsvArchitect@May 31, 2007 02:13 PM - Paul linked to the Brad Blog above - See "American Center for Voting Rights" link.
May 31, 2007 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somes notes on Hearne from a friend:
As a Missourian, I have had occasion to watch this cheap-shot homegrown talent named "Thor" Hearne. And, much as if he were a baseball player, I have watched him move up in the leagues while wondering "where will he end up?" How high will he rise in the new BuschReich?
As the name "Thor" Hearne begins to emerge from the shadows, take heed from his fellow Missourian. He is a bigger fish than we think and, though he is presently trying to act as if he is invisible during the USA controversy, his past is longer and darker than most know.
Let me give you a few isolated facts and you can connect dots and make your own predictions. In effect, a few picks from his resume.
2000... When then Sen. John Ashcroft was beaten for re-election by a dead man, Governor Mel Carnahan (who may have been Wellstoned), "Thor" Hearne led the challenges to the election.
At first he tried to supress minority voters in St. Louis. When Carnahan won anyway, Hearne tried several ploys to keep a Democrat from taking the Senate seat. He finally declaring that Carnahan, because he was dead, could not be the winner because, being dead, he was no longer a Missouri resident.
2000... Led the "Brooks Brothers" yuppie revolt to stop the Florida recount
2004... Was personal attorney to Matt Blunt (House Whip Roy Blunt's dimwitted son), who was then Secretary of State, and provided Blunt the go-ahead to declare himself winner of the Missouri gubernatorial race on evidence that yet exist. When it has finally appeared, it is suspect to say the least (Google "Matt Fox" "Missouri" "2004 Election").
2004... Hearne also provided the informaton that Sarah H. Steelman was the new Missouri Treasurer. Interestingly, the "H." in her name stands for Hearne. "Thor" gave his Sis a present.
2004... Was lead counsel for strategy and litigation in all the 2004 battleground states.
(and my favorite)
200?... As pResident Busch took a leisurely stroll out after the State of the Union address and disappeared down a walkway, the last person whom Busch saw, and whom he warmly embraced (actually a long affectionate bearhug) as he leaned over the railing was Thor Hearne!
This is a man whom we should never take our eyes off of.
May 31, 2007 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
tanya@04:38 PM - Do you have a link to Truthout's Iglesias interview? I'd like to hear what Iglesias has to say about the American Center for Voting Rights.
Pat Rogers is secretary and a director of the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund. On 10/11/06, he and his law firm filed a brief in New Mexico court in support of Albuquerque's voter i.d. law on behalf of the ACVR (link below).
The brief must have been one of the topics of discussion when Rogers and Iglesias had dinner together that month.
Iglesias should have put Rogers and the ACVR together in the same breath. If he didn't, why not?
May 31, 2007 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
i'm sure there's a back story that makes it perfectly reasonable, but isn't it a little embarrassing for a grown, professional man to go by Thor when that's not his name?
May 31, 2007 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jason Leopold's Truthout interview with David Iglesias (link below) is definitely worth listening to. About halfway through, Iglesias talks about Rogers bothering him about voter fraud for two years and Iglesias hooks Rogers up with the ACVR.
May 31, 2007 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The private attorney said in an interview that Hearne boasted to him about having discussions with administration officials who wanted Graves replaced."
Eric F. Kayira? He is or was a director and vice-president of ACVR. Kayira used to be with Lathrop & Gage but moved on to another St Louis firm, Blackwell Sanders.
Probably not. Kayira still lists being ACVR v.p. as one of his civic activities on his BS bio (link below).
Someone ought to ask Kayira about the nature of the work that L&G did for the ACVR.
May 31, 2007 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Murray Waas: "A resume posted on the Web site of Hearne's law firm showed that during the 2004 presidential campaign, Hearne was "responsible for advising the campaign on national litigation and election-law strategy as well as overseeing local counsel.... From September through the election, Hearne traveled to every battleground state and oversaw more than 65 different lawsuits that concerned the outcome of the election."
Hearne would have had to have interacted with Dalton T. "Dale" Oldham, executive director of the Free Enterprise Coalition. As I noted in an earlier comment, the Free Enterprise Coalition received $2.8 million in contributions in 2004 and spent $2.5 million on legal expenses between 2004 and 2005.
The Free Enterprise Coalition mission is "promote free enterprise system by ensuring fair election systems." Sounds good except the Free Enterprise Coalition was run by GOP operatives, Dale Oldham being one of them. Others are Robert L. Livingston, Edward T. McMullen, Mark Elam, Oscar Persons and Richard Hefley.
In his Squire, Sanders & Dempsey online bio, Ohio attorney and election law expert, William M. Todd, stated that he had served as litigation counsel for the Free Enterprise Coalition and the American Center for Voting Rights.
In a Free Press story about the GOP vote suppression effort in Ohio, Bob Fitzrakis wrote that Alex Vogel signed off on a legal document as an authorized representative of the Free Enterprise Coalition.
Alex Vogel was sneaky about his true relationship with the American Center for Voting Righs. He had his consulting firm, Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, named as the executive director of the ACVR in 2005 rather than claim the title in his own name.
Alex Vogel and his wife, Jill Holtzman Vogel (formerly Jill K. Holtzman) had a lot to do with the ACVR. The ACVR paid $73k in legal fees to their law firm, Holtzman Vogel, in 2005.
Holtzman Vogel associate and former DOJ official, Jason Torchinsky, testified as an expert witness to the EAC in February 2006.
American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund Executive Director Robin DeJarnette has endorsed Jill Holtzman Vogel for VA state senator in her capacity as Executive director of the Virginia Conservative Action PAC.
American Center for Voting Rights director, Whitson Robinson, has also endorsed Jill Holtzman Vogel for VA state senator in his capacity as Fauquier County Republican Committee.
While Mark "Thor" Hearne played a major role in the GOP's national campaign to suppress Democratic voters, I think the Vogels may have played a larger role.
Someone ought to ask candidate Jill Holtzman Vogel about the Free Enterprise Coalition and whether her firm was on the Coalition gravy train.
May 31, 2007 8:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Proving once more that all muck is indeed local. Crooked local candidate trying to possibly bend an election linked to a law firm and a husband that helps crooked national candidates bend elections.
Funny thought, but if I was her opponent or his campaign staff, I'd be hot on the trails of some of this stuff. Bring down the husband and the law firm, and there's no way Jill would win the election, if for no other reason than the bad press.
May 31, 2007 9:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Vote for Huckmeister Huckabee!!!
May 31, 2007 10:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Waas notes that there's no direct evidence that Hearne's complaints led to Graves' dismissal."
I disagree: "The White House declined to comment on any of its discussions with Hearne."
The WH didn't deny those discussions occurred; and that they didn't suggests there is hard evidence of them, either obtainable by subpoena outside the scope of Executive Privilege; or beyond the control of the WH; or both.
May 31, 2007 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
So there has been discussion on tpm regarding why we went into Iraq. What it all boils down to is that some believe we went in there to spread democracy and some who believe that we went in there for oil. I believe we went in there for oil because oil is the new gold. Once again, oil is the new gold. Our vaunted greenback is supported by oil. You ask how? Well, very simple. After Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard in 1969-70, the dollar gained strength as the world's currency by being the ONLY currency in which oil trades in the WORLD, hence universe. So in a convoluted way he was really trying to help the US. I don't agree with his way of doing it but i certainly can't fault him for the reason. I hope Josh finally reads this and responds to this theory.
May 31, 2007 10:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Read bradblog to see how instrumental Hearne was in pushing electronic voting. Turning a blind eye to machines that did not work or were openly found to switch votes from dem. to repub. Why isn't this man in jail?"
He has yet to be investigated, indicted, tried, and convicted, maybe?
"Guess the same reason the House wouldn't investigate repub. reps. who stole the election process to get to congress. In the Curtis/ Fenney race in Fla. ...Curtis had signatures that showed the vote wasn't fair in Fla. Guess the reason our dems. wouldn't investigate? Not enough evidence.
"Posted by: molly
Date: May 31, 2007 12:53 PM"
Ever pause to think? I mean, every stop to think that perhaps the Democrats didn't investigate was because (1) the were in the minority, and (2) were shut out of the process?
Nah, that couldn't be it. It can only be that they're corrupt, else without such unevidenced innuendo/allegation, there wouldn't be an excuse to bash them, and to not doing anything but sit on one's ass and mud-sling as cover for one's laziness.
"Democracy is responsibility" -- SC Justice Louis Brandeis -- not "freedom" with no constraints whatsoever.
May 31, 2007 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
"(How DeJarnette, a lobbyist, qualifies as an expert witness in election law is beyond me.)"
Mrs. Penstrappen --
Wouldn't the ability, by sophisticated, stealth means, to subvert elections qualify as expertise in elections law?
As the old saw goes: One should first learn the rules so one then knows how to break them.
Or as Mark Twain said: "I suppose you should obey the rules when young, so you'll have the strength to break them when old."
SC = profit. As in, What is it worth to steal elections, and destroy one's party as result?
May 31, 2007 10:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Does it not seem obvious... it is tragic .... that their Repub party candidates think they can not win an election on the basic merits of their candidate..."
They can't, because they have no merits, which is why they lie that they do.
"Posted by: Begonia Buzzkill
Date: May 31, 2007 03:55 PM"
May 31, 2007 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
"At first he tried to supress minority voters in St. Louis. When Carnahan won anyway, Hearne tried several ploys to keep a Democrat from taking the Senate seat. He finally declaring that Carnahan, because he was dead, could not be the winner because, being dead, he was no longer a Missouri resident."
Egad, does that last allegation present problems of proof! First, he must prove that Carnahan, notwithstanding his body is buried in MO, is no longer a resident because all that matters is Carnahan's "soul". (I know: How does a "soul" register to vote, or run for office, when one cannot even see it?)
Then he must prove not only the existence of "souls," but also prove (because Carnahan was a politician) that Carnahan (even though apparently Irish-Catholic) had a "soul".
Then he has to prove that that "soul" left the state of MO.
Then he has to prove where that "soul" went".
Then he has to prove there's a Heav--I mean, Hell (Carnahan not only a politician, he was also a Democrat).
Then he would have to prove (1) that there's a "God," and (2) that said "God" created Heaven ad Hell (or at least Hell -- Carnahan was Irish-Catholic/politicians/and Democrat).
Alas, even succeeding at proving all that, it's as uncertain that there is a "God" as it is that such "God" would be responsive to a subpoena, as it would appear to be beneath the dignity of such "God" to be so responsive. (On the other hand, such arrogance would suggest that "God" is a Republican.)
May 31, 2007 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The American Center for Voting Rights was a setup from the beginning.
Re Mrs. Panstreppon's comment at 3:32 p.m.:
"An American Center for Voting Rights was registered in the District of Columbia on 1/24/05. The GOP must have had second thoughts about a DC registration because another American Center for Voting Rights was registered on 3/3/05 in Virginia to a post office box in Newport Beach, California."
I seem to remember that the remarkably convoluted resume of Tim Griffin, presently (interim) U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, has a hard to detect & unexplained gap from January - March 2005. Might young Tim have been exercising his voter suppression skills sub rosa then on behalf of the "American Center for Voting Rights?"
Security code: bent. Delicious!
May 31, 2007 11:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
He looks like he has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. No wonder he's a Republican.
June 1, 2007 12:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Jason Leopold's Truthout interview with David Iglesias (link below) is definitely worth listening to. About halfway through, Iglesias talks about Rogers bothering him about voter fraud for two years and Iglesias hooks Rogers up with the ACVR.
"Posted by: I ♥ Ronnie Earle!
Date: May 31, 2007 05:51 PM"
He also mentions "lengthy, rambling emails" from Rogers to his chief of staff. If professionals, those emails were preserved. All they need do is verify Iglesias' allegations as to the "purpose/s" of Rogers' calls.
June 1, 2007 12:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
harper@May 31, 2007 11:31 PM - Tim Griffin worked as a "consultant" at an annual rate of $180k from January 2005 to April 2005, according to a WH email in one of the DOJ doc dumps.
He may very well have been paid in connection with the work being done by the ACVR or the better-funded Free Enterprise Coalition.
Interesting that Griffin didn't go straight from the RNC to the WH after the election.
June 1, 2007 12:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Rove Pick for US Attorney Resigned After Conyers Requested 'Vote Caging' Evidence from BBC
House Judiciary Chair Tells Palast in Interview: 'We're Not Through With Griffin by Any Means'
Indicates Caging Operation Could Not Have Been Done Without Knowledge of Rove, According to Palast Team...
FULL REPORT:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4620
June 1, 2007 1:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I just want to comment and say that you do your reader a disservice, yours truly included, when you choose to knowingly ignore the reporting of certain journalist based on some petty feud. What am I talking about you ask? The dreaded name jason leopold and truthout. Leopold did an extraordinary interview on film with david iglesias for truthout that made its way around the blogs. Its important because iglesias said things that has not been said before about karl rove and abu gonzo. But I wonder if its being ignored here because of everyones personal opinion about leopold. I don't understand why anyone would throw the baby out with the bathwater. This was gebuinely good work and the greater good outweighs anyones personal feelings about leopold.
Why continue to shun him? He is doing good solid work and this is on camera!
If anyone cares about the us attorney scandal and wants to watch a great video interview conducted with david iglesias click here on this link
www.truthout.org/docs_2006/053007j.shtml
June 1, 2007 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
eliot:
I saw the interview and agree it is well worth watching. You miss out by not watching and hearing this interview.
question:
I can't recall the time frame for when Arlen Spectors aid slipped that USAttorney provision into the patriot act. Can someone here recall?
My thinking is that the caging activity of Griffin and Rove took place in 2004. but could they have gotten that provision in the PA because they intended to get Griffin into the Arkansas USA slot as part of the longer term strategy? (Protecting Griffin and Rove from being found out.)
June 1, 2007 2:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
The TurdBlossom Brown Shirt Brook Brothers Auxillary is in deep deep doodo ! The Moderate Republicans ( down here in Texas we call them conservative Democrats ) are now fully realizing what a "clear & present danger " the ACVR et al are to our Republic. The moderates are coming to the rescue of Our Constitution. Iglesias inter view by that excellent journalist Jason Leopold left the distinct conclusion that democratic traditions ( you know -givens like every vote counts & is counted ) will be defended by our Common Comity. Recall please, that JAG Iglesia took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foriegn & domestic. Beyond a reasonable doubt - Thor & his other Neo Fascist Buddies are a clear & present danger to all Americans.
(Hey Jason can you & Leopald make nice - we all really need to stick togather-as we criminally prosecute the Bush Co RICO election theft activity )
June 1, 2007 5:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone know if any of the reports issued by the American Center for Voting Rights are online? I think there was one in March 2005 and another in August 2005.
I am particulary interested in whether any lawsuits are mentioned in the report and whether there are any indications that ACVR is tied to the Free Enterprise Coalition.
June 1, 2007 8:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I found the August 2005 report in the internet archives along with Tony Snow's report on the ACVR report on Fox News Radio.
The link to the Tony Snow audio below.
The link to the ACVR report:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051210163215/ac4vr.com/reports/072005/default.html
June 1, 2007 9:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only republicans could take hypocracy to a criminal level. At least these republicans did.
June 1, 2007 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Griffin resigs? Does this have anything to do w/Monica's slip of the word caging?
June 1, 2007 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
December 14, 2005
The USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 comes out of conference. At some point during the conference, Brett Tolman, counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, added Section 502. The addition eliminates restrictions on the length of service for interim U.S. attorneys and allows future interim attorneys to serve indefinitely without Senate confirmation.
http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/US_Attorney_purge_timeline#June_2005
Arlen Specter -- "I then contacted my very-able Chief Council Michael O’Neill to find out exactly what had happened. Mr. O’Neill advised me that the requested change had come from the Department of Justice, that it had been handled by Brett Tolman, who is now the US Attorney for Utah."
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002487.php
June 1, 2007 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hearne "oversaw election litigation in all battleground states" in the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign and at the same time Cheney sought to conceal his visitor records.
2004: National election counsel to Bush-Cheney ’04. Advised campaign on issues of national election law and litigation strategy and recruited and organized local counsel and oversaw election litigation in all battleground states. Delegate to Republican National Convention, Missouri State Republican Convention and Chairman of Missouri Republican Platform Committee and member of National Republican Platform Committee. Election Counsel to Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and to members of U.S. House of Representatives.
2003 – 2004: Vice-President and Director of Election Operations for Republican National Lawyers Association, Chair of National Election Law School and Seminar, Orange County, California, August 2003 and Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July 2004. Advisor to California State Party counsel on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger campaign and California recall election on Election Day operations and litigation.
http://lathropgage.com/people/detail.aspx?attorney=1584
The government's court filings show that the Bush White House focused on the issue [of concealing Cheney's visitor records] in the months before Election Day 2004.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070601/bush-cheney-secrecy/
June 1, 2007 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Noshrub,
Can't remember exactly where I saw it, but I read that Griffin is going to work for McCain's campaign.
June 1, 2007 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to say, I'm about at burnout level for the Gonzalez case. When you say that Schlozman's appearance should be interesting, isn't that what we thought about Goodling and Gonzo himself? No matter what comes out, nothing seems to change. Despite the notion that we all know Gonzalez is inept and a liar and both seem to have been proven, no one is DOING anything! I've about had it.
June 2, 2007 12:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Today the Wall Street Journal reported that Griffin was in “discussions” about working for the possible presidential campaign of Fred Thompson.
June 2, 2007 12:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
This bu$$h/cheney/rove, et al White House is a den of slippery well practiced vipers and slimy hard to hold down venomous snakes. Nailing them for any wrongdoing will be a long ardent process - a careful and methodical investigation must be done so they do not slither away not having to answer for their crimes against American democracy.
Have patience in the process - do not despair, do not throw in the towel, do not expect magical instantaneous one hour prime-time teevee episode results.
Nailing these fascist bastards for gaming our elections and gaming our Department of Justice to achieve their 100 year rule is something that needs to be done - to dissuade these Republican Nazis from pulling this crap again.
This is a win/win at any cost crowd - even if how they play the game of politics means the inevitable destruction of America - so be it - as long as these fascist win. Their rabid quest for Fascism permits and allows them to operate beyond the constraints of any ethics and/or the rules of laws.
These sick bastards must be stopped before they devastate and totally destroy each and every sliver of democracy.
June 2, 2007 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
US Attorney Griffin resigns; will work for Fred Thompson campaign
By Last Night in Little Rock, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Sat Jun 02, 2007 at 08:18:45 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
As TalkLeft noted here, embattled Eastern District of Arkansas U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin resigned on Friday, reportedly to work for the Fred Thompson campaign, according to ArkansasBlog and CNN.
Griffin was one of those installed in the eight purged U.S. Attorney slots, reported everywhere. His predecessor was dumped December 21st, and Griffin was installed.
He refused to subject himself to Senate confirmation hearings, knowing he would be crucified for participating in Karl Rove's machinations to steal the Florida elections for Bush by the purge of African-American voters in Florida.
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/6/2/91845/00158
June 3, 2007 1:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have a question about the comment I've quoted below. I can't find any other connection between Swift Boat and Torchinsky except for this reference in this comment. Does anyone know of how they are connected? This comment doesn't say who it's from...
Paul, you've giving AC4VR way to much credit calling them a "think tank."
They were, in reality, a PR exercise stood up by mysterious donors and largely run out of the Holtzman-Vogel boutique law firm in Northern Virginia.
Holtzman-Vogel is home to various dirty tricksters including:
Jill Holtzman-Vogel: former RNC general counsel (might she know something about gwb43.com?)
Alex Vogel: former Frist senior counsel
Jason Torchinsky: former Bush-Cheney '04 counsel, graduate of the DOJ Civil Rights division and Swift-Boats for truth bagman.
The RNC has sent a lot of money to Holtzman-Vogel Law -- I wonder if H-V is serving as a pass through to all of these phony groups?
Posted by:
Date: May 31, 2007 12:56 PM
June 12, 2007 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have a question about the comment I've quoted below. I can't find any other connection between Swift Boat and Torchinsky except for this reference in this comment. Does anyone know of how they are connected? This comment doesn't say who it's from...
Paul, you've giving AC4VR way to much credit calling them a "think tank."
They were, in reality, a PR exercise stood up by mysterious donors and largely run out of the Holtzman-Vogel boutique law firm in Northern Virginia.
Holtzman-Vogel is home to various dirty tricksters including:
Jill Holtzman-Vogel: former RNC general counsel (might she know something about gwb43.com?)
Alex Vogel: former Frist senior counsel
Jason Torchinsky: former Bush-Cheney '04 counsel, graduate of the DOJ Civil Rights division and Swift-Boats for truth bagman.
The RNC has sent a lot of money to Holtzman-Vogel Law -- I wonder if H-V is serving as a pass through to all of these phony groups?
Posted by:
Date: May 31, 2007 12:56 PM
June 12, 2007 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
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