California Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s Election Fraud Unit has just announced that felony charges have been filed against a Sacramento woman who appears to have forged the names of five voters while gathering signatures for a 2006 ballot initiative.
The initiative was sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which hired the woman to gather signatures for a petition to get the initiative onto the ballot. She earned 75 cents per signature, netting her a total of $3.75 from the allegedly fraudulent signatures, according to the press release just sent to The BRAD BLOG by the SoS’s office. (Complete press release posted at end of article.)
The signatures were excluded before the initiative qualified for the ballot, which eventually passed during the June 2006 election.
So why all the effort and resources expended to bring felony charges for such a paltry sum, for an election that’s already over, particularly when the signatures weren’t even used?
The reason, as we see it, is two-fold. And there are lessons to be learned from both explanations. And not just in California where powerful GOP operatives are hoping to gain enough signatures to put an Electoral College busting measure on the June 2008 ballot in desperate and cynical hopes of splitting the Golden State’s electoral vote on a proportional basis in order to game the 2008 Presidential Election.
The new Secretary of State of Ohio would do well to take away the important lesson, once again from her sister in Sacramento…
For the first reason why Bowen’s announcement is important, we defer to her statement in the press press release where she declares, “We cannot allow the integrity of the initiative process or the integrity of the electoral process to be undermined.” Huzzah.
Secondly, Bowen’s efforts are notable in sending a message that gaming of the electoral system, no matter how slight, or even moot, will not be tolerated. By taking this action — felony charges are no small matter — concerning something as minor as a $3.75 cent scam, one which didn’t actually effect the 2006 ballot measure directly (unless the scam was wider spread than we now know), the Secretary is sending a clear message that such shenanigans will not be tolerated in 2008 under her administration. Huzzah again. Message to CA Bad Guys: You’re on notice.
We point this out as Ohio’s newly elected Democratic Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, who came in with big guns as the new sheriff in town a few months ago, seems to have lost her way of late. At least in regard to finding accountability for the massive election fraud that took place all across the Buckeye State during the 2004 Presidential Election.
Her attempts at looking forward to the 2008 Election, and her planned review of voting systems and procedures (finally said to be underway after several compromises were made to appease Republicans who had to approve the expenditure) are all well and good.
But the tireless Election Integrity advocates in Ohio — who have spent years gathering evidence of fraud in the state, at their own expense, only to try and see some justice done — have been told recently by Brunner’s office that she’s “looking forward” rather than back, and seems prepared to let the extraordinary crimes of former SoS J. Kenneth Blackwell and his democracy-hating GOP cohorts just slide.
The message sent in Ohio, then: You can mess with elections and get away with it.
That’s not exactly the most encouraging sentiment as we move into 2008, when Ohio will most certainly be among the most important states in the country once again.
While we’re certainly sympathetic to Brunner, and all that she’s got to deal with in the political snakepit that is Ohio, a few investigations and/or indictments are long overdue and would go a long way towards letting the Republicanists know that she really does mean business and won’t tolerate 2004-style dirty tricks in 2008.
It would also begin to bring some “Truth and Reconciliation” for the EI Advocate heroes in Ohio who have been fighting for same long before Brunner’s administration even became a possibility.
In addition to Blackwell’s illegal activities, several other apparent blatant crimes need investigating in order to send a clear message concerning 2008. The still-unexplained and infamous Warren County Election Night Lockdown comes to mind. As do the stickers placed over Kerry ballots during the counting in Clermont County. Of course, surely not every one of the 56 of 88 counties which lost or destroyed 2004 ballots, despite a court order, had a good excuse for violating the law, did they? Those, of course, are just the tip of the iceberg, but they would be good places to start.
Election Justice is serious business. So kudos to Bowen’s Election Fraud Investigative Unit in California.
But the tireless EI Advocates in Ohio, now calling themselves the Ohio Election Justice Campaign have performed yeoman’s efforts and much of the legwork for Brunner, and OH Attorney General Marc Dann. The least that Brunner can do is work with them to find some way to get at least some accountability in 2004, in order to make it damn clear that such an abberation can never happen again — least of all in 2008.
Brunner would also do well to remember that those folks will be her very best friends in next year’s elections, no matter what happens. It would be nice if she started working with them as such.
The press release from California Sec. of State Debra Bowen follows below…
SACRAMENTO – Following a probe by Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s fraud investigation unit, Tanya Bowers of Rio Linda (Sacramento County) has been charged with two felonies for allegedly falsifying signatures on a Pacific Gas & Electric-sponsored regional petition.
In March 2006, Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Jill LaVine alerted Secretary Bowen’s office to suspicious signatures while processing a PG&E petition. After conducting an investigation, the Secretary’s Election Fraud Investigation Unit found that Bowers, a signature-gatherer hired by the proponents, appeared to have forged the names of five voters, including two who were deceased. Bowers earned 75 cents per signature, thereby earning $3.75 from the allegedly fraudulent signatures.
The PG&E petition, which later became Measure H, sought to require existing Sacramento Municipal Utility District customer approval for any future SMUD annexations. The suspicious signatures were excluded as county elections workers tallied and validated petition signatures. The measure qualified for the ballot and voters approved it in June 2006.
“We cannot allow the integrity of the initiative process or the integrity of the electoral process to be undermined,†said Secretary Bowen, California’s chief elections official. “I want to thank Jill LaVine and the diligent Sacramento County elections team for catching these signatures. â€
The Sacramento County District Attorney charged Bowers with one count of subscribing to a petition the name of another (Elections Code 18613) and one of filing a false or forged instrument (Penal Code 115). The charges are punishable by up to four years in state prison.
The Secretary of State’s Election Fraud Investigation Unit helps maintain the integrity of the electoral process by investigating allegations of election and voter fraud in California. Potential Elections Code violations brought to the unit’s attention are thoroughly investigated and referred to law enforcement officials for prosecution when there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. The Secretary of State’s office does not disclose information about the status of ongoing criminal investigations, but the information from a case that culminates in a criminal complaint filed by a county or state prosecutor is a public record.
Anyone who has witnessed a violation of the California Elections Code is encouraged to contact the Secretary of State’s Election Fraud Investigation Unit at 1-800-345-VOTE or www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_fraud.htm.
I’m sure the Repugs will pounce upon this as some kind of evidence of voter fraud if Ms. Bowers was a democrat.
Let us pray that the Ohio EI people can find a way to build rapport with Jennifer Brunner. The best thing they could do is turn her on to Brad Blog.
Bowen has realized that morality has no influence in American elections anymore, and has gone for the only thing that can change things here.
Litigation!
Something even the Democrats in congress can understand.
But it’s sad, isn’t it?
These Republican elections dirty tricksters were trained in the school of KKKarl rove. If they are not punished, fined, and sent to jail for gaming elections they will be back next election cycle to practice their ploys once again. Winning is everything to these fascists – democracy be damned.
I sure hope Secretary of State Debra Bowen can find more than just 1 person who allegedly committed Election Fraud.
Because you know there has to be more than 1 person committing fraud!
Great Website Brad! 🙂
Can’t you edit here?
Sorry,screwed up my web/blog address..
Well number 1 the “Electoral College” should be abolished completely in ALL states.
It is a sick joke in today’s elections and does exactly the opposite of its original intentions.
Should be popular vote only, one person one vote this would open up elections to other parties such as the Green party and I’m certain the percentage of voters would at least double.
But to simply change the EC in just Calif in order to steal 20+ Electoral votes is clearly nothing but the usual Rethuglican scam to thwart anything resembling a fair election.
Not to mention abolishing the EC would make stealing elections about 100X more difficult.
Agreed with Nunyabiz.
Make it a national law to abolish the Electoral College, and we can talk; but only in CA? How ’bout also in TX? And AL? And MS? And GA?
shw
A shot across the bow can sometimes avoid a war.
Lets hope the fraudsters take the hint so we can get back to normal american democracy via normal elections.
Bowen did the right thing in this case. This is known as zero tolerance.
Just look at all the bizarre things that people on the far right have zero tolerance for. There are too many to list here, but if the Republican operatives who are pushing this EC petition try to make an issue out of Bowen’s zero tolerance for election shenanigans of any type, then let’s start that list and get it out in letters to the ed.
We’re fortunate to have Bowen working on the side of the people and in support of honest elections here in CA.
Why? Steal key, large states and ignore the little ones.
While most of you might be looking at the bigger picture from space. (cyberspace?)
And as much as I do not want to take sides on things,
It probably be said that PG&E should be bought out by SMUD. While SMUD has actually been doing an acceptable job supplying energy, and trying to innovate (no I can’t prove it cause I am just one dude) PG&E wants to continue with the existing situation. (look at the infrastructure)
Uh, how do I explain this. If you lived on the west side of the sacramento river, you’d probably have PG&E, on the east side (Which is bigger-IMO) you’d have SMUD.
If you had PG&E you’d be paying more for less. If you had SMUD, you’d have a stable bill, yes there are increases. But SMUD just knows what the hell they are doing. I guess they have the best leadership they can get. (more on that later)
note: Of course there are exceptions, however, I Live in Sacramento for 40+years, and so I use that wisdom.
So PG&E has higher prices, what do they do with that money? Feed their executives? OR push a political resolution. I dunno, it’s speculation, I don’t know and I don’t know the person that did the gathering of signatures, in fact I don’t know what the initiative was either…it’s irrelevant. Whatever they are doing ain’t working. You following me here?
Might have been a great company in the old days, but they’re screwing up royal now.
Now back to SMUD, they would love to take the garbage PG&E has been managing off their hands and bring it up to date, it would cost the EXISTING people on the east side of the sacramento river more money. But again being the forward looking leadership, they made that clear, initially it will take work, money, and a higher bill to absorb PG&E (Which in my opinion they need to go. Unless they are going to harvest/research hydrogen. No, okay time to go then.)
Now the SMUD leadership might be good, but they better figure out some new sources of energy fast. I know THEY got THEIR solar crap, but most folks (like you and me) don’t. All I know is they have kept the lights on since the giant fiasco enron days.
I know we still get warnings from CAL ISO in the summer when things are hot and demand is up. (that’s a fact)
Now on the one hand PG&E we all know what their problems are (nudge Nudge, hint hint), but why doesn’t SMUD look into hydrogen?
And the reason is because if the PUBLIC knew how to turn water into energy, all these bastards time would be up.
So yeah, duh, they (Whoever They is) are gonna attack the elections.
Bonus: How hard can it be to split enough water molecules into hydrogen, just before they enter the intake manifold?
Anyway, looks like expensive Solar for now (ask arnold)
that’s my spin on this.
pro SMUD, anti PG&E even though SMUD is not doing all they can do. Or, being all they can be. Whatever.
All cases however, (or whatever the real agenda) there should be no fricking hacking and cracking of the votes electronically. (Back to the big Picture, remove electronic counting from elections now.)
Your also welcome to straighten me out on any facts I might have fucked up on. Just not the voting ones. The PG&E ones. Maybe you can argue PG&E should buy SMUD? The FACT is people in Sacramento don’t really give a shit where the electricity and gas comes from, as long as it is cheap and reliable.
Ultimately who is to provide that is yet another question. I kind of like independence myself. But if your not going to have independence then what’s left? SMUD or PG&E.
So who might want to CRACK our elections electronically to benefit?
my politics are currently:
1. Remove OATH OF OFFICE breakers
2. Restore the US Constitution. (that fixes civil rights, and the war.)
3. LIFE, HEALTH, ENERGY (it does not matter what language you speak, although I think energy should be TOP priority. But if you don’t have a LIFE, what does it matter? And if your health sux how can you have a life. Without ENERGY how can you do anything.)
so what are we going to do
This action appears more towards creating perception than substance. Which is more important: A woman who falsifies five signatures on a petition, or several election officals who violate the law while conducting real elections? Who is easier to prosecute and obtain a conviction: A woman poor enough to be out collecting signatures for $.75 each, or election officials who have county financial resources, a statewide association, and political connections?
If Secretary Bowen really cared about the sanctity of elections she would first and foremost go after the rogue election officials who have violated the law, thumbed their collective nose at her, and hidden the evidence of their criminal actions.
She would have her Election Fraud Unit collaborate with the Attorney General in conducting a forensic investigation of formal citizen complaints accompanied by hard evidence, and do surprise inspections of different counties’ voting system operations.
Within the Elections Division there are already documents that if reviewed would provide enough evidence to initiate further investigations of some of the largest counties in this state.
For years local election officials have not had to fear any consequences for not following the law. If the prosecution of this one woman is supposed to send a message to future signature gatherers, when will Secretary Bowen send a message to local election officials that they must obey the law. Until she does, they will continue to flaunt the law and the voters.
Why is prosecution of private individuals backwards looking under the guise that there must be accountability, but requiring accountability of public officials is deferred on the basis of looking forward.
The double-standard of justice in this country is revolting. People who participate in undermining the sanctity of our vote are the worse sort of criminals. They do not act out of passion, economic need, or ignorance. What they do, they do deliberately, either for political, personal, or financial gain.
As long as counties such as San Diego, Riverside, and LA flaunt the law with impunity, I will take no satisfaction with the prosecution of petty election related crimes while elections themselves are violated by those who betray their official duties.
It would be better that Secretary Bowen started enforcing the law as it relates to voting systems, the conduct of our elections by local election officials, and investigating prior violations of the law. That would send a message loud and clear to the most important participants in the election industry, the vendors and election officials, that they will be prosecuted.
Reporting on $175K donation, LA Times did not mention that GOP is behind CA electoral-vote initiative
http://mediamatters.org/items/200709260008?f=h_latest
While CA Sec. of State Debra Brown’s action against a signature gatherer is fine, that action didn’t require any courage on Brown’s part. Going after a single individual with no political connections doesn’t strike me as particularly noteworthy and is so very politically safe.
If Brown means business, let’s see her take a close look at precinct and county elections and go after some people on the Boards of Election.