U.S. Probes Fla. Voter Intimidation Claims (elderly black voter)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=9&u=/ap/20040918/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/voter_intimidation


WASHINGTON - The Justice Department (news - web sites) is investigating accusations that Florida law enforcement officers intimidated elderly black voters during a probe of voting fraud last spring.

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There have been growing calls for a federal investigation of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's response to allegations of voter fraud in Orlando's mayoral election. Democrat Buddy Dyer's narrow victory sparked accusations that a black activist may have improperly filled out absentee ballots. FDLE agents interviewed dozens of voters who cast absentee ballots.

Civil rights groups and Democrats contended the agents' presence and behavior, including allegedly displaying their guns, intimidated the minority voters they visited.

Democratic Sens. Bob Graham of Florida and Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites) of New York, as well as Florida's three black Democratic House members, demanded an investigation in letters last month to Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites).

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"There was no intimidation," he said. "They went out into the community and interviewed a random sample of witnesses in an investigation of absentee ballot fraud." :eyes:

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