Today Wired News’ Kim Zetter reported on their “Threat Level” blog that Maryland Election Director, and long-time Diebold apologist, Linda Lamone has allowed her statements and picture to be used in new advertising brochures Diebold has produced to promote their Express Poll 5000 electronic poll books.
Zetter quotes Lamone:
Note Lamone’s mention of being pleased during the general election.
As Zetter points out in her article, the machines that Lamone is speaking for failed spectacularly in Maryland during last September’s Maryland primary election. The machines also failed in Georgia last July. It appears that Diebold was doing what seems to have become a common practice among the voting machine vendors, “Beta Testing” in a real election. While Diebold claimed that they fixed all of the problems found during the primaries, at least one official told Zetter that machines in at least one precinct crashed when a last name beginning with “Cur” was typed in.
And what about the conflict of interest of Lamone shilling for a company that the state is doing business with? Zetter goes on to report…
Section 15-506 of the law regarding “Use of prestige of office” reads:
Whether Lamone profited personally from the appearance is unclear. What is very clear, however, is that Lamone, supposedly a Democrat, has shamelessly shilled for the company and covered up for her failures, as well as the company’s failures in Maryland for years.
For the Record, Maryland Election Judge here. Linda Lamone lies yet again:
“Our election judges just love this product, and so do I. We in Maryland are extremely pleased with the performance of the system during the general election,”
I don’t know anyone who was raving about how much we loved the machines. While on duty on election day, I was appalled at the use of the poll books and the just another way to manipulate an election.
The only people who appeared to love them, were the instructors in our election judge class.
Linda Lamone is nothing more than a prostitute. I think someone needs to do an audit on her bank account and income.
((waves at Brad and everyone))
None of us election judges in my presinct and several others that I know were raving how much we loved the machines. I dont even think we were so inclined to send Lamone a “thank you for putting Diebold paperless voting in place”. ((rolls eyes))
How does she get away with this? She is a corporate criminal. ((mutters, she’s a psycho and criminally insane))
I wonder who “WE” is?
Sure ain’t “WE THE PEOPLE!”
A public official, being paid with our tax dollars to perform a public job on our behalf, should not be allowed to endorse the very same products she is being paid by us to thoroughly examine, in order to protect our voting system. Linda Lamone does not work for Diebold. She works for the good people of Maryland, and if I were a citizen of Maryland, I would be screaming my head off about this one.
And now that she’s proven herself to be totally lacking in good judgment, by choosing to commercially endorse a product she is being paid to oversee, she should be asked to step down from her duties, to be replaced by someone more suitable.
Unfortunately that is never going to happen. Here in Maryland, we have Democrats from old Maryland money, that run, the House of Delegates, the Senate and a Dem is governor. They all scramble to please and appease Linda Lamone . .much like the Republicans on the national level.
I find there are GREAT Democrats in other states, but in Maryland, they are a filthy corrupt bunch (with the exception of my wonderful Senator Brochin. I fully believe they want diebold in place to keep Democrats in all three positions. I fully believe they want to keep their strangle hold on House, Senate and Governor.
They do all they can to kiss Linda Lamone’s behind and to defend her . . .and well, most people in our state who are dems, think those that represent them are great progressives . and don’t know all the dirty dealings that go on.
It’s sick really. Given the corruption here, I don’t see that Linda Lamone will be asked to leave or step down.
They control everything in this state . .and you could investigate Lamone .but our compliant news media will never report on it or let that news see the light of day to sway public opinion.
There are a lot of great citizens like those of True Vote MD and progressive Dems . .unfortunately they are in the vast minority. The Majority of people are apathetic, or dont care to be informed or start rallying together to force change. Many vote dumb . . . they go with who is the flashiest with the most money . .and who the media portrays as popular.
The Maryland media does not give all candidates full coverage and promotion . .they promote who has the money to spend. The dumbed up public buys it hook line and sinker.
Lamone is not going anywhere . . unless there is a massive class action lawsuit with MANY citizens involved. I just don’t see it happening.
But then again, didn’t bush pass some law to eliminate class action law suits?