MO Democratic Party Members Found Guilty

[Tiger in Spain 0]

The defendants were found guilty on all counts following a four-week trial in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis.

Four of the defendants -- Jessie Lewis, Sheila Thomas, Yvette Johnson and former city official Kelvin Ellis -- were found guilty of conspiracy to commit election fraud and election fraud. All worked for the Democratic Party during the election last November.

Democratic Party boss and former City Councilman Charlie Powell was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit election fraud.

The five were charged with paying voters up to $10 a vote to vote for Democratic candidates during the Nov. 2 general election.

The jury deliberated about five and a half hours before returning the verdicts.

The Federal Court Trial started on June 1, 2005 on the 5 East St. Louis Democrats accused of voter fraud. The East St. Louis Democratic Party was given $67,000 before the November 2nd election to "Get Out the Vote!"

In closing arguments on Tuesday, the prosecution again went over the evidence presented during the trial including the taped recordings by the federal witnesses and East St. Louis Democratic election workers:

Carr replayed many of the audiotapes the jury had previously heard of conversations Youngblood and McIntosh had with the defendants. Carr used the tapes to support his theory the five defendants conspired to buy votes for $5 and $10 apiece to elect Democrat Mark Kern the St. Clair County Board chairman in the Nov. 2 election.

"But there was a perception in East St. Louis he was racist," said Carr, adding this had upped the price for bringing voters to the polls on Election Day.

Which explains why the St. Clair County Democratic Central Committee sent $79,000 to East St. Louis Democratic precinct committeemen just before the election, Carr said.

"To make sure Mr. Kern was elected -- that's what this conspiracy was about," Carr said. "This was business as usual in East St. Louis on election day."

Kern, the former mayor of Belleville, narrowly won the race for County Board chairman, thanks to winning more than 82 percent of the vote in East St. Louis.

Kern, who has not been charged with a crime, has denied any wrongdoing.

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[Tiger in Spain 0]

It's happened in West Virginia, too.

Vote Buying a Way of Life in W.Va. County By LAWRENCE MESSINA, Associated Press Writer

Mon Jun 20, 5:09 PM ET

HAMLIN, W.Va. - According to political lore, just before John F. Kennedy's momentous win in the 1960 West Virginia primary, the Democratic boss of Logan County asked the Kennedy campaign for "35" — meaning $3,500 — to buy votes for the presidential candidate. In an apparent misunderstanding, Kennedy's people delivered $35,000 in cash in two briefcases.

West Virginia's coal country has a long and rich history of vote-buying — which explains why many folks in Lincoln County all but shrugged over the indictment last month of five people on federal charges they secured votes for liquor or a $20 bill or two.

Sharrell Lovejoy, 83, said he has heard rumors of vote-buying since he opened his Bobcat Restaurant on Hamlin's main drag, in 1948.

"It's gone on for ages," said Lovejoy, behind his diner's hand-cranked register. "I'm sure they're still doing it. They're just more careful about it."

As with past election fraud probes, the latest case targets solely Democrats, who dominate the voter rolls and local governments through the region. In Lincoln County, population 22,100, Democrats outnumber Republicans 4-to-1; the indictment focuses largely on the party's primary elections, going back to 1990.

With Hechler's help, a state-federal task force secured more than two dozen election-related convictions in Mingo County in the 1980s. Ensnared officials included a former sheriff, a county commissioner, a school board president and a Democratic Party chairman.

The current case targets Circuit Court clerk Greg Stowers, 48, the son of Lincoln County's longtime Democratic Party chairman; his deputy, Clifford Odell "Groundhog" Vance, 49; Jackie David Adkins, 36, a state highway worker; Wandell "Rocky" Adkins, 49, no relation; and Toney "Zeke" Dingess, 34.

All five have pleaded not guilty. The defense alleges that two convicted felons used by the government as informants lied to investigators to avoid stiff sentences on weapons charges.

The defense also says the government used illegal tactics during its investigation, intimidating voters by filming at polling places and trailing voters home. Prosecutors countered that the U.S.    Justice Department's Public Integrity Section approved the investigators' techniques.

Prosecutors allege the defendants enlisted precinct captains to pay off voters and hand out slates listing the preferred candidates. Most votes were bought for $20 apiece, prosecutors said (Missouri democrats paid $5..what a rip off  ). The indictment also said Stowers drove to Kentucky and filled his pickup truck with booze for distribution to voters during the 1994 primary.

The indictment cites 16 voters who were allegedly paid off. Prosecutors have not said just how many voters, all told, were supposedly bought or how much was spent, but said the conspirators assembled $25,000 for one election alone to bribe voters.

Link

[WarTim 3,457]

My friend in Spain, you must have your wires crossed. Don't you know that only the dreaded Republicans do stuff like this?

[TrueBlue72 0]

These sort of shenanagans are just another in the long line of demoncratic tradition. Is it any wonder that the demoncrats are SO opposed to any sort of meaningful voter ID reform? If not for their outright fraud, the last two presidential elections would not have been nearly so close.

Demoncrats and Bammers are a lot alike, cheaters and arrogant about their entitlement to do so!

[Piglet 0]

Anyone who corrupts the electoral system should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

It's nice that at least one political party gets held accountable for wrongdoing. Now, can we please also declare it officially wrong for Republicans?

[WarTim 3,457]

Easy answer. Republicans don't do it.

Next?

[vatz22au 142]

Easy answer. Republicans don't do it.

Next?

166719[/snapback]

Oh really?

Here

Again

Im sure that mess in Florida had nothing to do with fraud either....

Just do a google search....You'll find one assumption:

Both parties have, in one way or another, some hands that are really dirty.

[WarTim 3,457]

If you think voter "fraud" had anything to do with the 2000 election in the sunshine state, I have a really nice bridge to sell you!

[vatz22au 142]

If you think voter "fraud" had anything to do with the 2000 election in the sunshine state, I have a really nice bridge to sell you!

166729[/snapback]

To be honest, I dont know what to think about all that.

If it helps any, I dont really have a side, whether it is democratic or republican. I like to remain neutral, and see both sides of every argument.

Im just stating both parties are not 100% clean in any fashion.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

The point of this, Vatz, is these jackasses scream voter fraud anytime their candidate is rejected at the polls by the people. Then, lo and behold, all these reports surface about money exchanging hands for votes, beer and other alcoholic beverages handed out in exchange for votes....mostly done at the hands of the democrat party. It's the whole pot calling the kettle black thing.

Before I get jumped by the liberal siamese twins on this site, let me go ahead and say now that it is very conceivable that a republican somewhere has handed out a $20 handshake as well. One would have to be completely insane to think otherwise. I'm focusing on the irony here, the irony that the democrats are still charging voter fraud from the presidential election in Ohio (among MANY of the other states that wound up colored red) and wanting to have the results overturned.

It's part of tthe newest slogan campaign of the democrat party, "Democrat...if I can't win in the voters booth I'll win in the courtroom." or "Democrat...vote for me or I'll sue."

[AURaptor 1,126]

I seem to recall that it was East St. Louis where they kept the polls open, for no real damn reason in particular, 'till midnight back in the 2000 election.

[WarTim 3,457]

I am quite certain there was a "reason".

[AURaptor 1,126]

I am quite certain there was a "reason".

166847[/snapback]

I meant legally. It's clear that the reason was to stuff the ballot box with votes for AlGore.

[vatz22au 142]

I seem to recall that it was East St. Louis where they kept the polls open, for no real damn reason in particular,  'till midnight back in the 2000 election.

166845[/snapback]

Im just trying to state that no one here can say that one party is corrupt, and the other is squeaky clean just because one may side with a particular party here. I think we can all agree neither party is 100% clean...and I mean 100%.

It'd be nice to see elections go the way they were meant to be: fair. Whether a democrat or republican is being accused......it'd be nice if neither happened at all. Money can be an evil thing

[WarTim 3,457]

To a degree you are right Vatz. However, there is cheating and then there is CHEATING. (Like saying AU cheats and uat CHEATS!)

[vatz22au 142]

To a degree you are right Vatz. However, there is cheating and then there is CHEATING. (Like saying AU cheats and uat CHEATS!)

166907[/snapback]

lol you got that right