New Mexico GOP Sued For Voter Intimidation The Huffington Post | Rachel Weiner | October 27, 2008 01:19 PM Show your support. Buzz this article up.
<http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/huffington_post/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%252F2008%252F10%252F27%252Fnew-mexico-gop-sued-for-v_n_138199.html>Buzz up! ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) has sent out a press release about a lawsuit against the New Mexico GOP after <http://newmexicoindependent.com/6457/nm-gop-accused-of-voter-intimidation>reports that minority voters in the state are being intimidated by party officials. The press release: Lawsuits were filed today in U.S. Federal District Court, charging New Mexico Republicans with criminal violations of the U.S. Voting Rights Act. The lawsuits stem from a series of attacks on new, minority voters in Albuquerque--many of whom were assisted in registering to vote by ACORN--that began with a press conference on October 16, led by State Representative Justine Fox-Young, in which Fox-Young claimed to have solid proof that individuals had illegally voted in the June, 2008 Democratic primary election. At the press conference, the Republican Party broke state law by distributing the voters' personal information in its press packets. The second attack came after ACORN visited 9 of the 10 smeared voters and proved them to be legitimate. On October 22, a private investigator visited at least 3 of the voters, leaving them shaken, one in tears. The Associated Press reported the daughter of one voter indicated that the intimidating tactics had worked on her mother. ""She said that if she knew she was going to have to go through all this, she wouldn't have voted," said Guadalupe Bojorquez. According to the VRA, it is a criminal offense to willfully intimidate or interfere with a person attempting to vote or to conspire to intimidate someone trying to vote. In ACORN's conversations with all of the voters visited by the investigator, all expressed fear at his aggressive, angry, and intrusive behavior. "These are all minority voters. Many of them are young, and one is a new citizen," said ACORN leader Dana Gallegos. "ACORN has worked hard to get these types of new voters involved in the democratic process. We will not tolerate attempts by the Republican Party to suppress the Hispanic vote in New Mexico." The investigator told one voter that his name was Al Romero and that he works for Pat Rogers, a Republican Party attorney who was also involved in the October 16 smears. ACORN helped 80,000 New Mexicans register to vote this year. A voting-rights group has also <http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/voting-rights_group_calls_for.php>called for a federal probe of the matter. <http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com> ยท <http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com>TPMMuckraker Voting-Rights Group Calls For Federal Probe Of New Mexico Voter Intimidation By <http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/zroth>Zachary Roth - October 24, 2008, 5:11PM A major voting-rights group has sent a letter to New Mexico U.S. Attorney Gregory Fouratt, calling on him to investigate claims of voter intimidation and suppression. The <http://projectvote.org/fileadmin/ProjectVote/State_Documents/PV_Letter_to_USAO_NM.pdf>letter, from the group Project Vote, comes in the wake of reporting by <http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/is_new_mexico_gop_lawyer_hirin.php>TPMmuckraker and <http://newmexicoindependent.com/6457/nm-gop-accused-of-voter-intimidation>others about a private investigator -- who said he was working for <http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/nm_gop_lawyer_pushing_voter_fr.php>Pat Rogers, a lawyer connected to the state GOP -- appearing at the homes of Hispanic voters in Albuquerque, and questioning them about their right to vote. In a press release announcing the letter, Project Vote refers directly to these reports. In its letter, Project Vote -- a non-profit voting-rights group that works to increase voting in low-income and minority communities -- writes: This form of intimidation and suppression is in direct violation of Section 12 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as Section 2. We feel that the right of all Americans to vote is of the utmost importance, and if there is credible evidence of voter intimidation and suppression of a particular class of voters it should be addressed and promptly persecuted. Fouratt was appointed U.S. Attorney for the district after the 2006 firing of David Iglesias. According to a recent DOJ <http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0809a/final.pdf>report, Iglesias was removed for his failure to prosecute voter fraud cases he believed to be bogus. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. 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