-Caveat Lector- http://www.nydailynews.com/2000-11- 01/News_and_Views/Express_Edition/a-86781.asp Vote-Swap Web Sites c By J.K. DINEEN Daily News Express The plug is being pulled on the Great Presidential Swap of 2000. At least three Internet sites that arranged vote trading between backers of Al Gore and Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader have closed following complaints. The sites sought to have Nader supporters in the battleground states vote for the vice president. In exchange, Democrats would agree to cast a ballot for Nader in states considered a cakewalk for Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The Green Party needs 5% of the popular vote to qualify for federal funding in 2004. California elections officials contacted Jim Cody, the Los Angeles Web site operator who set up www.voteswap2000.com, and informed him he was violating state law by brokering the exchange of votes. "As soon as we were informed we shut the thing down," Cody said. In the site's short life, more than 5,000 matches were arranged, he added. After Cody closed his site, two other trading sites shut down on their own. Meanwhile, officials in at least four states are investigating vote- auction.com, a controversial European Web site claiming to be buying and selling votes in the U.S. presidential election, but proof that the organization is doing anything — legal or not — has yet to surface. Regardless, officials in at least four states are investigating vote- auction.com. Hans Bernhard of Vienna, Austria, runs the Web site which purports to "satire" a c..o.u...rrupt political system driven by soft money. Bernhard bought the site from James Baumgartner, a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., who established it as a master's thesis. "Our candidates are for sale, and by selling themselves they are treating the election as a commodity," Baumgartner said. "The next step is to treat votes like commodities." Buying and selling votes is forbidden by federal and state laws. Original Publication Date: 11/1/00 ### The right to buy weapons is the right to be free. -- A.E. Van Vogt, "The Weapon Shops Of Isher", ASF December 1942 <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