Convictions In Kentucky Voting Fraud Case

Last year about this time I posted a story about charges that were filed in Clay County, Kentucky involving a case of out and out voter fraud. We aren't talking voter registration here, but actual manipulation of the vote. Well, the verdict has come in. Guilty on all charges.

A jury convicted a former judge and seven others on Thursday of scheming to buy votes for several local offices in an eastern Kentucky county.

The jury in U.S. District Court in Frankfort deliberated for nine hours over two days before convicting all eight people in a federal racketeering conspiracy. Those convicted on Thursday included former Circuit Judge R. Cletus Maricle and former school Superintendent Douglas C. Adams.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the jury also convicted several of the defendants on other charges, including mail fraud, extortion and laundering money that was used to buy votes.

Of course the reporting on this is another classic example of Name That Party, a game that has become a favorite in bars and frat houses all around the country. I however have this little portion from earlier reporting on the matter.

According to the indictment, Democratic election commissioner Charles Wayne Jones and election officer William E. Stivers helped extort money from candidates. In some cases, candidates were apparently asked to pool money so votes could be bought.

Anybody who self-identifies themselves as a Democrat ought to face some serious challenges in the job market. You are known by the company you keep, and so far the Democrats sure are proving themselves to be a bunch of tax cheats, liars, and schemers. I don't think I would want anybody working for me that expressed an affinity for the Democrats.

However, it does appear that maybe the Democrats healthcare plan is enabling blind people to see.

Briggs said 78 people asked for help in that election because they were blind, but investigators found nearly 40 had a license to drive. Many drove to London after the FBI asked them to come for interviews, Briggs testified.

Update: The article I originally linked to was the AP version of events. I have found the actual reporting of this scandal from the local paper, and they don't play the game, along with giving a chronology of the story and mugshots.

Democrat Voter Fraud In Kentucky

Here is a case of real voter fraud in Kentucky and you would not believe how hard it was to confirm my suspicions of which party was involved. In reading the news stories and no particular party was mentioned we all know the rule of thumb is that if it is a scandal then 9 times out of 10 it means the guilty party is involved with the Democrats and that is indeed the case here. In one article from a local newspaper I found this snippet.

According to the indictment, Democratic election commissioner Charles Wayne Jones and election officer William E. Stivers helped extort money from candidates. In some cases, candidates were apparently asked to pool money so votes could be bought.

In all, so far 7 people have been charged in Clay county Kentucky for participating in this election fraud.

* Clay County Circuit Court Judge Russell Cletus Maricle, 65, and school superintendent Douglas C. Adams, 57, allegedly used their status in the county to influence the appointment of corrupt members to the Clay County Board of Election Officials and caused election officers to commit acts of extortion, mail fraud, and bribery. Maricle also allegedly instructed a witness to testify falsely before a federal grand jury in Lexington.
* Clay County Clerk, Freddy Thompson, 45, allegedly provided money to election officers to be distributed by the officers to buy votes and he also instructed officers how to change votes at the voting machine. The indictment also accused Thompson of a false testimony before a grand jury in Lexington.
* Election officer William E. Stivers, 56, allegedly marked votes or issued tickets to voters who had sold their votes and changed votes at the voting machine. Stivers also allegedly instructed a witness to testify falsely before a federal grand jury.
* Paul E. Bishop, 60, allegedly marked voters or issued tickets to voters who sold their votes and he also hosted alleged meetings at his home where money was pooled together by candidates and distributed to election officers, including himself. He was also accused of instructing the officers how to change votes at the voting machine.
* William B. Morris, 66, and Debra L. Morris, 49, distributed funds pooled by the members of the scheme in order to buy votes. The couple owned and operated a transportation sanitation company and was active in the political affairs of Clay County.

The charges from intimidating voters to actually changing the votes on the electronic voting machines.

I am pretty sure that the diarist over on the Daily Kos didn't realize who was involved when they decided to mention it.

It is still hard to determine the party affiliation of most of those involved in this scandal but so far for those named it don't look good for the Democrats.