-Caveat Lector- ELECTION 2000, Day 10 Lawsuit over missing military absentee ballots Texas firm to file action on behalf of disenfranchised soldiers -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ By Jon E. Dougherty � 2000 WorldNetDaily.com A San Antonio, Texas-based law firm said it will file suit in federal court in the western district of Texas next week on behalf of military personnel who claim they requested absentee ballots for local and national elections but did not receive them. According to Mathew Finch, an attorney with the firm Campbell & Jones, the suit is aimed at "protecting [military members'] fundamental right to vote." "It is our position that denial of the right to vote constitutes not only a violation of one's fundamental constitutional rights, but taxation without representation," Finch said in a statement. "Our clients can be made whole by flying their ballots to them immediately so that their voices may be heard," action that would form the basis for "injunctive relief." Or, Finch said, members would settle for "pecuniary relief in the form of their not having to pay taxes for their period of disenfranchisement from the voting process, which would amount to four years" -- or the period of time before the next presidential election. "Since we're filing this Monday," Finch said, "we need any other military members experiencing the same problem to contact us immediately." Finch, who said his firm will be handling the suit pro bono, said the cost of the case "could be extremely high since it will likely go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court." The firm is asking for donations to help cover litigation costs. At issue is a series of complaints made by military personnel -- some overseas and others stationed stateside -- who have said they requested absentee ballots but never received them. WorldNetDaily broke this story on Nov. 4. Most affected military personnel have pointedly maintained that they followed standard procedure in requesting the ballots themselves and many added that this year's presidential election was the first time they had not received ballots in time. Some have complained, however, that they never received them at all -- which is the focus of Finch's suit. The firm said any parties to the suit must fax a notarized statement attesting to the fact that they applied for ballots "through the appropriate channel and did not receive the ballot in time to vote or did not receive it at all," the statement said. "Also, if any orderly room records annotating service members' requests for ballots exist," Finch said, "we could use copies of those -- or sworn affidavits from the appropriate supervisor." The Pentagon has denied any culpability in delayed or missing military personnel absentee ballots, though officials have acknowledged that at some point in transit, the military is responsible for actually delivering ballots -- and other mail -- to overseas personnel stationed on land and at sea. "We live in cheap and twisted times. Our leaders are low-rent Fascists and our laws are a tangle of mockeries. Recent polls indicate that the only people who feel optimistic about the future are first-year law students who expect to get rich by haggling over the ruins... and they are probably right." Hunter S. Thompson, "Songs Of The Doomed" <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
