“Two Democratic western Pennsylvania township officials were charged with voter fraud for allegedly soliciting absentee votes from elderly residents who weren’t eligible to cast such ballots.” Link.
Author Archives: J Christian Adams
Ouch! Former NC Supreme Court Justice says Attorney General Cooper conflicted himself out of Voter ID case
Any criticism of Gov. Pat McCrory’s decision to hire outside legal counsel in the litigation over the voter ID legislation is not only wrong but reflects a lack of understanding of the duties a lawyer owes to his client.
…In defending the voter ID litigation, a straightforward, honest conversation between the governor and his attorneys is necessary to determine the legal strategy for handling the lawsuit. The attorney general’s actions undoubtedly interfere with the mutual trust that is necessary to litigate this case.
Ouch.
Texas Democrat uses Latino alias to get elected, oppose Voter ID
Watchdog.org explains the name game being played by Texas State Rep. Trey “Martinez” Fischer – real name Ferdinand Frank Fischer III – who is Chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC) that’s currently suing to challenge Texas’ voter ID law: There’s no mystery why Fischer would want to pretend to be named Martinez. Sixty percent of the voting-age population in his district is Hispanic, and the percentage is even higher among Democrats. Six of the seven Democratic state representatives from Bexar County use Hispanic last names; the other five, as far as we know, have every right to do so. The question is why he’s been allowed to use the name Martinez on ballots for more than a decade, when Texas law requires candidates to use their real names, with an allowance for one legitimate nickname. The San Antonio Democrat was elected seven times, from 2000 through 2012, under the name Trey Martinez Fischer, with no indication that either “Trey” or “Martinez” are nicknames and not part of his legal name. Fischer displayed the same level of truthfulness in a deposition opposing Texas’ voter ID law: His story was that his own mother would be one of those poor people disenfranchised by a requirement to show a driver license when voting. “My mother doesn’t have one,” was his exact quote. The media lapped it up, as actual examples of this sort of disenfranchised voter are nearly impossible to find. During Fischer’s deposition in the federal case, a lawyer for the state of Texas confronted Fischer with a current copy of his mother’s driver license. It was valid when Fischer had given his press conference, and it had recently been renewed until 2017. Fischer had lied. Fischer was on Eric Holder’s witness list as Trey Martinez Fischer. He appears to be registered to vote in Bexar County under the name Ferdinand Martinez Fischer III, while the property at which he’s registered to vote is in the name Ferdinand Frank Fischer III. One wonders which of these names appears on the government-issued photo ID he’ll be required to present when voting this year.
Do Democrats like Fischer really believe they can’t get elected without a “Spanish surname” on the ballot? But beyond the obvious identity politics at play, Fischer’s use of an alias to run for public office appears to raise legal questions:
In Pennsylvania: “Voter ID opponents blast $1M ad campaign”
The Pennsylvania Department of State has launched a $1 million ad campaign to publicize the state’s controversial voter ID law, even though the law’s fate remains in limbo. Link here (subscription required)
Good News: “States joining forces to scrub voter rolls”
Denver Post here.
“Dallas County man pleads guilty in election misconduct case”
Iowa:
“Tehvedin Murgic, of Dallas County, was fined $1,325. Election misconduct is a serious misdemeanor. The trespass charge also was a misdemeanor.
A spokesman from Schultz’s office was unaware of the specifics of Murgic’s case and Dallas County Attorney Wayne Reisetter wasn’t immediately available for comment.
According to online court records, Murgic pleaded guilty to interfering or attempting to interfere with a voter while the voter was marking a ballot during a general election. A report last November by the Associated Press said Murgic was ineligible to vote because he was not a U.S. citizen, but registered and cast a ballot in the 2010 general election.”
Voter Mobilization 2014 Moves to Arkansas
Next in line for attack on Voter ID.
“Azerbaijan released election results before voting had even started”
Washington Post.
“Lawfirm Attacking Breitbart’s Widow Also Attacking NC Voter ID… for free”
“The Supreme Court’s latest opportunity to restore the First Amendment”
The Supreme Court will be taking up another restriction on the First Amendment in McCutcheon vs. FEC. Speech regulators limit the amount of support one person can give to people with whom they agree. From Human Events:
“Shaun McCutcheon is a general contractor in Alabama who runs his own business. He is a conservative who wants to help candidates and organizations who, as his brief says, share his “convictions about the proper role of government and the importance of ensuring that elected officials adhere to constitutional limitations on their authority.” During the 2011-2012 election cycle, he contributed $33,088 to congressional races, including the symbolic amount of $1,776 to each of 15 challengers trying to unseat incumbents, well below the maximum he could have contributed individually to each candidate. . . .
It is completely unreasonable to claim that it is legitimate for McCutcheon to make contributions of $2,600 to 18 candidates, but if he contributes that amount to 19 candidates, we are suddenly in danger of encouraging corruption.”