-Caveat Lector- http://www.ksfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=973890&nav=0w0iBo3m
October 16, 2002 KSFY- Home South Dakota Fraud Probe Widens as Election Day Gets Closer The investigation into possible voter fraud is focused on six South Dakota counties, mainly ones with or near Indian reservations. Dewey and Ziebach counties are two of the main targets, but for similar reasons. Dewey County Auditor Adele Enright tells KSFY-TV her office has taken 413 requests for absentee ballots, almost twice what she expected. Many of them came in one envelope from the Democratic Party, which had 330 applications in it. All were marked absentee for the same reason. The Party fired an independent contractor who worked in Dewey County after learning of the possible irregularities. "We have done everything in our power to train people, to explain to them what the law is, what the regulations are, in South Dakota and federal election laws and how to stick closely to those rules," says South Dakota Democratic Party Spokesperson Sarah Feinberg . Feinberg also says one of their contractors, Becky Red Earth-Villeda, strayed from those rules, and filed two invalid applications. "We had an independent contractor that was associated with our party who broke the rules, she was terminated immediately and it's been taken care of," Feinberg said. The South Dakota Democratic Party says there's a good explanation why 330 applications for absentee ballots could wind up in one envelope, and it's perfectly legal. The party says this is a common practice in many states - they hire private contractors to encourage people to sign up for absentee applications. They could be at the State Fair or a grocery store. Once they gather the applications they send them to the party headquarters. Feinberg says the party has people all over the state making sure everyone who is eligible to vote gets a chance to do so, and before they send them out they make sure they know the rules. Independent contractors are paid based on the number of voters they sign up. Feinberg says that too, is a common practice in many campaigns across the country. Sarah Feinberg also says there are several groups other than the Democratic Party making efforts to register voters in South Dakota. Ziebach County Auditor Cindy Longbrake has been getting more mail than usual in the past few weeks as well. "There were 90-some absentee ballot requests in one envelope from the South Dakota Democratic Party," Longbrake said. "I have never in all the years I've worked here received a big envelope like that all together." She added that the envelope also contained something she's never seen before, "That's another strange thing, every one of the requests that was in the envelope they had checked they would be absent from the county on election day. Strange to think that 90 people were all gone on Election Day." One of those that was supposed to be absent from the county is Ashley Romero. KSFY went to Cherry Creek where the application says Ashley lives, with Marion Romero's sister Mabel, but Marion doesn't know Ashley. Also, the Ziebach County Auditor received an application from the Democratic Party for a Eunice Taylor, but the application says she lives in Sisseton in Roberts County. Tim Johnson's campaign manager, Steve Hilderbrant, tells KSFY that absentee ballot request was sent to Ziebach County by mistake. The Roberts County auditor tells KSFY there is not a Eunice Taylor registered to vote in that county. A Eunice Taylor answered the phone at the number listed on the application and told KSFY that she did file the ballot request. KSFY has confirmed with U.S. Attorney James McMahon they are investigating at least one individual, but they have not said if or when charges could be filed in the case. By: Shelley Keohane and Tom Powell All content � Copyright 2000 - 2002, WorldNow and KSFY, a Raycom Media station. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. KSFY- Home | News | 2002 Vote Coverage | Weather | Sports | Health | Dakota First Outdoors | Tastes & Treasures | Entertainment | Money | Business | Contests & Coupons | Ask The Professional | Car Care | What's On | Community | Dakota First eNews BACK TO TOP <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
