Sound Politics: "Inquiry finds evidence of fraud in election"

May 11, 2005

"Inquiry finds evidence of fraud in election"

Milwaukee experienced election fraud eerily similar to what we saw in King County, but at least law enforcement officials in Wisconsin are doing something about that mess:

Investigators said Tuesday they found clear evidence of fraud in the Nov. 2 election in Milwaukee, including more than 200 cases of felons voting illegally and more than 100 people who voted twice, used fake names or false addresses or voted in the name of a dead person.

Officials said charges will be filed in coming weeks, as individual cases are reviewed and more evidence is gathered.

Nonetheless, it is likely that many - perhaps most - of those who committed fraud won't face prosecution because city records are so sloppy that it will be difficult to establish cases that will stand up in court.

And even now, three months after the investigation, officials have not been able to close a gap of 7,000 votes, with more ballots cast than voters listed. Officials said the gap remains at 4,609.

U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic likened it to trying to prove "a bank embezzlement if the bank cannot tell how much money was there in the first place."

The investigation is a joint effort of the U.S. Attorney and county district attorney, and prompted by newspaper investigative reporters. Sadly, it seems merely wishful to think that our local newspapers, county prosecutor and U.S. Attorney would actually make a serious effort to investigate King County's election fraud.

hat tip: Powerline Blog

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at May 11, 2005 12:16 PM | Email This

Comments

1. Is Dean Logan moonlighting in Milwaukee?

Posted by: JCM on May 11, 2005 12:27 PM

2. I'm sure the crack reporters at the PI and Times will find no similarities between these two elections. After all, one was in Wisconsin and the other in Washington. See... that proves it.

Wow! I could be a crack reporter too.

Posted by: Ken on May 11, 2005 12:33 PM

3. Yes, it is strangely familiar.

That is because this is the game Democrats have been playing in urban counties for years. The write the election law, and then commit fraud in a way that THEY BELIEVE cannot be proved under the election law. The simply do this by not keeping adequate records.

The bank analogy is very appropriate, and is probably something that occurred to King Sims, thus his reference to being as accurate as a bank.

Posted by: DeadManVoting (aka Iguana) on May 11, 2005 12:34 PM

4. So when we rewrite this sucker by initiative, make sure there's _criminal_ penalties for failure to keep adequate records.

(That'll never happen legislatively.)

Posted by: Al on May 11, 2005 12:44 PM

5. Actually, Dean Logan is on the short list to replace the Milwaukee director of elections, so he can clean up their system. He did so well in Seattle, it has become his specialty.

Posted by: MIMike on May 11, 2005 01:42 PM

6. Milwaukee is at least ahead of us if they are trying to prosecute.

Posted by: Mark WWU on May 11, 2005 01:51 PM

7. "Some of the problems IDENTIFIED BY THE
NEWSPAPER, such as spotty compliance
procedures to verify same-day registrants,
are broader and are the subject of a state
wide audit APPROVED BY LAWMAKERS."

Therein lies the difference.

The only similarity in this whole thing is that both states start with a "W"

Posted by: Susu on May 11, 2005 02:18 PM

8. They could be describing King County~!
The one comfort I take from this is that Wisconsin is such a pivotal state for electoral votes that I'm glad they're trying to do something about it. WA isn't a swing state, but they really ought to look into our situation because it's the right thing to do, and decisions about something so important as GOVERNOR hinge on it.

Posted by: Michele on May 11, 2005 02:27 PM

9. I saw this quote from Republican Congressman and Immagration hawk, Tom Tancredo. Even though the quote is in reference to the efforts of the Minutemen, it has direct bearing on what we as citizens want from our election services.

"You are good citizens who ask only that our laws be enforced," Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, told the Minutemen at a Washington news conference. "When did that become such a radical idea?"

Posted by: Jamie on May 11, 2005 04:18 PM

10. I've followed the Milwaukee story for a while. There could not be a more stark contrast between the dogged investigative journalism undertaken by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel to get to the facts of Wisconsin's election scandal and the passivity and backside-covering of the Seattle dailies in the face of the same thing.

Posted by: jsa on May 11, 2005 05:12 PM

11. I wouldn't admit to much depth of knowledge about the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, but I get the impression that they are pursuing the all-illusive conservative achilles heel.

Dollars~to~donuts they'll spit this out like spoiled milk once they determine that the misconduct was perpetuated by democrats.

Posted by: alphabet soup on May 11, 2005 08:12 PM

12. Do we need a "Schram" for this one? I'll wait & see...Guess it's better to be called a 'cheddar-head' than a headless voting reform leader.

Enough "ostriching" and all your problems will go away, right? Bunch of journalistic weenies here in Seattle. Feelings. Consensus. Denial.

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on May 11, 2005 10:45 PM

13. Alphabet soup, the Journal-Sentinel has been doing a good job of covering ALL of the Democratic perfidy in Milwaukee, despite the fact that the paper's editorial board tilts left. They are not allowing their bias to color their news, a welcome change from the business-as-usual attitude here in Seattle.

Another investigation covered by the Journal-Sentinel resulted in the indictment of five Democratic Party activists who slashed the tires of GOP courtesy vans on election day, preventing those vans from being used to drive poeple to the polls. Just another form of disenfranchisement, but the workers were celebrating until they were arrested.

Posted by: timekeeper on May 12, 2005 06:06 AM

14. In the WI case, I believe the papers there have been 'competing' to cover this story and it has been them and not the parties who have done the ground work (or our own SHARK). If you check the Racine and Madison papers, you'll find they have chased their own city election officials.

The Milwaukee paper is now at 31 articles in the last 90 days. You can see the whole string at:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/site/archive.asp?id=296

Posted by: Gary on May 12, 2005 06:42 AM

15. Why do you think that the DNC was so sure that if they were allowed to keep re-counting (only certain counties)votes in 2000, they could have 'misteriously' would 'WON'! They don't throw that kind of money at something they don't 'know' is a 'sure thing.'
I wouldn't mind a 'voter accounting' on the FL 2000 election. I think you 'see' the pattern for WS, 2004.

Posted by: arky on May 12, 2005 07:17 AM

16. Timekeeper & Gary: Thanks for the info. It is comforting to hear that competition in the arena of ideas (newspaper variety) is still at play somewhere in our country.

Sadly, it is no longer in evidence in Washington state....

Posted by: alphabet soup on May 12, 2005 08:52 AM