2 election workers get 18 months for rigging presidential recount

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND (AP) — A judge suspicious of more corruption pressed two former election board workers to tell what they know and then sentenced them today to the maximum 18 months in prison for rigging the 2004 presidential election recount to make their job easier.

“I can’t help but feel there’s more to this story,” said Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Peter Corrigan, who allowed the women to remain free on bond pending appeal. Some of their friends and relatives sobbed as the judge imposed the sentence.

The judge repeatedly asked Jacqueline Maiden, 60, an election coordinator who was the Cuyahoga County board’s third-highest ranking employee, and ballot manager Kathleen Dreamer, 40, if higher-ups in the board had directed the recount rigging.

“It seems unlikely your supervisors wouldn’t know,” the judge prodded.

The women, standing side by side, said they had cooperated with a state investigation of the elections board in Ohio’s most populous county. The board has been a lightning rod for critics wary since Ohio gave the 2004 election to President Bush.

“This big conspiracy, it’s not there,” Dreamer said. She said she wasn’t protecting anyone at the board and had been truthful in the investigation.

Maiden said she wouldn’t lie, even to protect someone. “I’ve never tried to do anything underhanded,” she said.

But the judge sounded skeptical. “Telling the whole truth, that’s what’s important,” Corrigan said. “I’m not convinced you’ve done that.”

Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter, appointed as an outside investigator to look into the election board in Cleveland, told that judge that the women had been uncooperative in the investigation and appealed for prison time for both.

Read more: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/29840

sure not gonna now.

more?

So which time did they not lie?

The two got a new trial when the defense attny claimed "new evidence" (there was none) and bargained it down to a six month "diversion" program.

:sarcasm:

The Cuyahoga County prosecutor who appointed the outside prosecutor is a DINO, strictly GOP with a veneer of being a Democrat.

Druggies get decades

Maybe we need to reconsider this:

implicate the master criminals. while the ones controlling the crime empire look clean as a whistle.

for 6 months!?

So I guess anyone willing to serve only 18 months can help rig an election in America. Great.....

Baxter criticized the outspoken support for the women from Robert Bennett, the election board chairman and head of the Republican Party in Ohio. Endorsing such criminal behavior is “amazing, it’s astounding,” according to Baxter, who didn’t indicate if the investigation might lead to more charges.

This reeks --- obviously more to this ---
A Repug and a Dem . . . Evangelicals --- ???

:puke:

is that obviously election fraud occurred, and yet no one is talking about pulling Bush out of the WH and putting Kerry in there.

They throw us a bone(barely) by looking like they'll punish these people, when in fact it's unlikely that any punishment will be meted out- just like Libby.

"Gov't by the people, for the people," my ass.

18 months in a state pen at 60 would you?

the sentence keeps getting reduced, and these lame brains aren't squealing on the people who ordered them to do it.

I bet they spend no time on probation, let alone in a cell. And still Bush sits, smirking in the WH.

Until enough people do something to say otherwise, these people make the rules, and what do you know? They always win!

:puke:

and people are actually likely to go to prison for it,

Can we throw the pResident out like he fucking deserves yet?!

NO HEADLINES in the MSM?!!!!

Ancient history, move on, new election coming, etc, etc...

And in time, the records will start to disappear, the witnesses will get old and die off, history will be revised so W becomes a good president or just forgotten (as has already happened with Reagan) and then, when things are all quiet again, up will pop another Bush, ready to continue the family legacy.

this story is proof that RECOUNTS NEVER HAPPEN!

in fact the REpublicans have managed to shut down recounts in New Mexico, San Diego (Busby Bilbray contest),
Ohio, Florida and many other states.

So when I saw Henry Waxman respond to a question about Election Fraud, It is continually disappointing when his answer is WE NEEDE COMPUTERS that PRESENT A PAPER ballot.

wow... Henry Waxman, does not get basic elections need to be hand counted paper ballots.

and even then if we don't make the CITIZEN a crucial part of the puzzle we can't trust that even the hand counts are handled in an ethical way by elections officials.

the JUDGE IS RIGHT, there is definitely MORE TO THE STORY!

Speculating aloud: I'd wager the incentive for silence-in-the-face-of-rime is more to avoid retribution, or worse from the Repugs. Given that they are (gasp!) females and therefor low in the food chain of thugs, they are probably not considered WORTHY of major payoffs at the end of 18 months. Its enough that they and their kinfolk continue to live with all limbs attached.

Just thinking, just saying, just wondrin....

:kick:

INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE :patriot:

..contrary to 99.99999% of DU, this is an example of a reason I am FOR electronic voting. The advanced skills and broad conspiracy needed to fix elections using evoting equipment do not seem plausible to me (I don't believe republicans are that smart and democrats are dumb enough to let it happen). However, people with no skills have been stuffing ballot boxes and doing crap like this since voting started. It takes no skill or far-reaching conspiracy to rig elections using paper ballots.

Save your breath and typing - I already know you are right and I am wrong. I'm just spouting an opinion.

They helped steal the election for this asshole!

Baxter said they didn't see absentee ballot counts before November election
http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/isope/1199352613197300.xml&coll=2

They plea bargained in November
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/11/elections_board_workers_to_tak.html

Unless After Downing Street knows something we don't this case has been settled

Let's just hope they don't disappear. Or get prematurely pardoned by George.

Should trump all 2008 election media coverage.

*sigh*

the case was disposed of in Nov 07; 6 months deferred adjudication - diversion program (probation)

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/11/elections_board_workers_to_tak.html