[North-NV-Greens] Fwd: Proof of Ohio Election Fraud Exposed

[Paul Etxeberri]

>
>Proof of Ohio Election Fraud Exposed
>
>By William Rivers Pitt
>
>t r u t h o u t
>http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/121604Z.shtml
>
>Wednesday 15 December 2004
>
>Also see below: Affidavit of Evelyn Roberson
>Lawmaker Seeks Inquiry into Ohio Vote
>
>Among activists and investigators looking into
>allegations of vote fraud in the 2004 Presidential
>election, the company always mentioned was Diebold and
>its suspicious electronic touch-screen voting machines.
>It is Diebold that has multiple avowed Republicans on
>its Board of Directors. It was Diebold that gave
>hundreds of thousands of dollars to Bushís election
>campaign. It was Diebold CEO Walden OíDell who vowed to
>deliver Ohioís electoral votes to Bush.
>
>As it turns out, everyone was looking the wrong way.
>The company that requires immediate and penetrating
>scrutiny is Triad Systems.
>
>Triad is owned by a man named Tod Rapp, who has also
>donated money to both the Republican Party and the
>election campaign of George W. Bush. Triad manufactures
>punch-card voting systems, and also wrote the computer
>program that tallied the punch- card votes cast in 41
>Ohio counties last November. This Triad company graphic
>displays the counties where their machines are used:
>
>Given the ubiquity of the Triad voting systems in Ohio,
>the allegations that have been leveled against this
>company strike to the heart of the assumed result of
>the 2004 election.
>
>Earlier this week, the allegations against triad were
>first raised by Green Party candidate David Cobb, who
>testified at a hearing held in Columbus, Ohio by Rep.
>John Conyers of the House Judiciary Committee. In his
>testimony, Cobb stated:
>
>Mr. Chairman, though our time is limited, I must bring
>to the committee's attention the most recent and
>perhaps most troubling incident that was related to my
>campaign on Sunday, December 12, about a shocking event
>that occurred last Friday, December 10.
>
>A representative from Triad Systems came into a county
>board of elections office un-announced. He said he was
>just stopping by to see if they had any questions about
>the up-coming recount. He then headed into the back
>room where the Triad supplied Tabulator (a card reader
>and older PC with custom software) is kept. He told
>them there was a problem and the system had a bad
>battery and had "lost all of its data". He then took
>the computer apart and started swapping parts in and
>out of it and another "spare" tower type PC also in the
>room. He may have had spare parts in his coat as one of
>the BOE people moved it and remarked as to how very
>heavy it was. He finally re-assembled everything and
>said it was working but to not turn it off.
>
>He then asked which precinct would be counted for the
>3% recount test, and the one which had been selected as
>it had the right number of votes, was relayed to him.
>He then went back and did something else to the
>tabulator computer.
>
>The Triad Systems representative suggested that since
>the hand count had to match the machine count exactly,
>and since it would be hard to memorize the several
>numbers which would be needed to get the count to come
>out exactly right, that they should post this series of
>numbers on the wall where they would not be noticed by
>observers. He suggested making them look like employee
>information or something similar. The people doing the
>hand count could then just report these numbers no
>matter what the actual count of the ballots revealed.
>This would then "match" the tabulator report for this
>precinct exactly. The numbers were apparently the final
>certified counts for the selected precinct.
>
>Triad is contracted to do much of the elections work in
>this county and elsewhere in Ohio. This included
>programming the candidates into the tabulator, and
>coming up with the rotation of candidates in the
>various precincts (that is, the order of which
>candidate is first changes between precincts). They
>also have a technician in the office on election night
>to actually run the tabulator itself.
>
>Triad also supplies the network computers on which all
>of the voter registration information and processing is
>kept for the county.
>
>It was unusual for the computers to be taken apart. At
>least one member of the Board of Elections was told the
>tabulator was in pieces when he called to check on the
>office.
>
>The source of this report believes that the Triad
>representative was "making the rounds" of visiting
>other counties also before the recount. This person
>also stated they would not pass on the suggestion of
>the "posted" hidden totals, and would refuse to go
>along with it if it were suggested by the others in the
>office at the time.
>
>The source of this information believes they could lose
>their job if they come forward.
>
>The source of this information is named Sherole Eaton,
>Hocking County deputy director of elections. She has
>since written and signed an affidavit describing her
>experience with the Triad representative, the text of
>which is here:
>
>====
>
>AFFIDAVIT December 13, 2004 Sherole Eaton Re: General
>Election 2004 - Hocking County, TriAd Dell Computer
>about 14 years old - No tower
>
>On Friday, December 10 2004, Michael from TriAd called
>in the AM to inform us that he would be in our office
>in the PM on the same day. I asked him why he was
>visiting us. He said, "to check out your tabulator,
>computer, and that the attorneys will be asking some
>tricky questions and he wanted to go over some of the
>questions they maybe ask." He also added that there
>would be no charge for this service.
>
>He arrived at about 12:30PM. I hung his coat up and it
>was very heavy. I made a comment about it being so
>heavy. He, Lisa Schwartze and I chatted for a few
>minutes. He proceeded to go to the room where our
>computer and tabulation machine is kept. I followed him
>into the room. I had my back to him when he turned the
>computer on. He stated that the computer was not coming
>up. I did see some commands at the lower left hand of
>the screen but no menu. He said that the battery in the
>computer was dead and that the stored information was
>gone. He said that he could put a patch on it and fix
>it. My main concern was - what if this happened when we
>were ready to do the recount. He proceeded to take the
>computer apart and call his offices to get information
>to input into our computer. Our computer is fourteen
>years old and as far as I know had always worked in the
>past. I asked him if the older computer, that is in the
>same room. could be used for the recount. I don't
>remember exactly what he said but I did relay to him
>that the computer was old and a spare. At some point he
>asked if he could take the spare computer apart and I
>said "yes". He took both computers apart. I don't
>remember seeing any tools and he asked Sue Wallace,
>Clerk, for a screwdriver. She got it for him. At this
>point I was frustrated about the computer not
>performing and feared that it wouldn't work for the
>recount. I called Gerald Robinette, board chairman, to
>inform him regarding the computer problem and asked him
>if we could have Tri Ad come to our offices to run the
>program and tabulator for the recount. Gerald talked on
>the phone with Michael and Michael assured Gerald that
>he could fix our computer. He worked on the computer
>until about 3:00 PM and then asked me which precinct
>and the number of the precinct we were going to count.
>I told him, Good Hope 1 # 17. He went back into the
>tabulation room. Shortly after that he (illegible)
>stated that the computer was ready for the recount and
>told us not to turn the computer off so it would charge
>up.
>
>Before Lisa ran the tests, Michael said to turn the
>computer off. Lisa said, " I thought you said we
>weren't supposed to turn it off." He said turn it off
>and right back on and it should come up. It did come up
>and Lisa ran the tests. Michael gave us instructions on
>how to explain the rotarien, what the tests mean, etc.
>No advice on how to handle the attorneys but to have
>our Prosecuting Attorney at the recount to answer any
>of their legal questions. He said not to turn the
>computer off until after the recount.
>
>He advised Lisa and I on how to post a "cheat sheet" on
>the wall so that only the board members and staff would
>know about it and and what the codes meant so the count
>would come out perfect and we wouldn't have to do a
>full hand recount of the county. He left about 5:00 PM.
>
>My faith in Tri Ad and the Xenia staff has been nothing
>but good. The realization that this company and staff
>would do anything to dishonor or disrupt the voting
>process is distressing to me and hard to believe. I'm
>being completely objective about the above statements
>and the reason I'm bringing this forward is to,
>hopefully, rule out any wrongdoing.
>
>Further buttressing Eatonís claim is an addendum to a
>previous affidavit filed by Evelyn Roberson who, you
>may recall, was involved in the Greene County recount
>action that was summarily shut down by Ohio Secretary
>of State Blackwell. Her addendum reads as follows:
>
>Addendum to Declaration of Evelyn Roberson dated
>December 12, 2004 Re: Incidents of December 10, 2004
>
>This is to add to the approximately 1 :15 p.m. portion
>of the visit with the Deputy Director of Elections Lyn
>McCoy with respect to the following comment:
>
>"She said they would have their computer technician
>check over their computers on Monday in case they has
>been tampered with."
>
>the addition is that Lyn McCoy also mentioned to me at
>the same time that her computer technician was with
>Triad.
>
>I declare under penalty of perjury the forgoing is true
>and correct.
>
>Dated: December 14, 2004
>
>Evelyn Roberson
>
>Original versions of these documents should be
>available later on Wednesday on the website of Rep.
>Conyers.
>
>Conyers, upon hearing these allegations, sent a letter
>to both the FBI Special Agent in Charge in Ohio and the
>Hocking County Prosecutor. The text of that letter is
>as follows:
>
>December 15, 2004
>
>As part of the Democratic staff's investigation into
>irregularities in the 2004 election and following up on
>a lead provided to me by Green Party Presidential
>Candidate, David Cobb, I have learned that Sherole
>Eaton, a Deputy Director of Board of Elections in
>Hocking County, Ohio, has first hand knowledge of
>inappropriate and likely illegal election tampering in
>the Ohio presidential election in violation of federal
>and state law.
>
>I have information that similar actions of this nature
>may be occurring in other counties in Ohio. I am
>therefore asking that you immediately investigate this
>alleged misconduct and that, among other things, you
>consider the immediate impoundment of election
>machinery to prevent any further tampering.
>
>On December 13, my staff met with Ms. Eaton who
>explained to them that last Friday, December 10,
>Michael Barbian, Jr., a representative of Triad GSI
>unilaterally sought and obtained access to the voting
>machinery and records in Hocking County, Ohio, modified
>the computer tabulator, learned which precinct was
>planned to be the subject of the initial test recount
>and made further alterations based on that information,
>and advised the election officials how to manipulate
>the machinery so that the preliminary hand recount
>matched the machine count. Ms. Eaton first relayed this
>information to Green Party representatives, and then
>completed, signed and notarized an affidavit describing
>this course of events, a copy of which is attached.
>
>The Triad official sought access to the voting
>machinery based on the apparent pretext that he wanted
>to review some "legal questions" the officials might
>receive as part of the recount process. At several
>times during this visit, Mr. Barbian telephoned into
>Triad's offices to obtain programming information
>relating to the machinery and the precinct in question.
>I have subsequently learned that Triad officials have
>been, or are in the process of intervening in several
>other counties in Ohio - Greene and Monroe, and perhaps
>others (see attached).
>
>There are several important considerations you should
>be aware of with respect to this matter. First, this
>course of conduct would appear to violate several
>provisions of federal law, in addition to the
>constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due
>process. 42 U.S.C. ß1973 provides for criminal
>penalties against any person who, in any election for
>federal office, "knowingly and willfully deprives,
>defrauds, or attempts to defraud the residents of a
>State of a fair and impartially conducted election
>process, by . . . the procurement, casting, or
>tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to
>be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under
>the laws of the State in which the election is held."
>42 U.S.C. ß 1974 also requires the retention and
>preservation, for a period of twenty-two months from
>the date of a federal election, of all voting records
>and papers and makes it a felony for any person to
>"willfully steal, destroy, conceal, mutilate, or alter"
>any such record. Further, any tampering with ballots
>and/or election machinery would violate the
>constitutional rights of all citizens to vote and have
>their votes properly counted, as guaranteed by the
>Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the
>Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
>
>Second, the course of conduct would also appear to
>violate several provisions of Ohio law. No less than 4
>provisions of the Ohio Revised Code make it a felony to
>tamper with or destroy election records or machines.1
>Clearly, modifying election equipment in order to make
>sure that the hand count matches the machine count
>would appear to fall within these proscriptions.
>
>Moreover, bringing in Triad officials into other Ohio
>Counties would also appear to violate Ohio Revised Code
>ß 3505.32 which provides that during a period of
>official canvassing, all interaction with ballots must
>be "in the presence of all of the members of the board
>and any other persons who are entitled to witness the
>official canvass," given that last Friday, the Ohio
>Secretary of State has issued orders to the effect that
>election officials are to treat all election materials
>as if they were in a period of canvassing,2 and that
>"Teams of one Democrat and one Republican must be
>present with ballots at all times of processing."
>
>Third, it is important to recognize that the companies
>implicated in the wrongdoing, Triad and its affiliates,
>are the leading suppliers of voting machines involving
>the counting of paper ballots and punch cards in the
>critical states of Ohio and Florida. Triad is
>controlled by the Rapp family, and its founder Tod A.
>Rapp has been a consistent contributor to Republican
>causes.4 A Triad affiliate, Psephos corporation,
>supplied the notorious butterfly ballot used in Palm
>Beach County, Florida, in the 2000 presidential
>election.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>John Conyers, Jr.
>
>Enclosures
>
>cc: The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
>
>The New York Times published a report on the matter
>late Tuesday night:
>
>Go to Original
>
>Lawmaker Seeks Inquiry into Ohio Vote By Tom Zeller Jr.
>The New York Times
>
>Wednesday 15 December 2004
>
>The ranking Democratic member of the House Judiciary
>Committee, Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan,
>plans to ask the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a
>county prosecutor in Ohio today to explore
>"inappropriate and likely illegal election tampering"
>in at least one and perhaps several Ohio counties.
>
>The request for an investigation, made in a letter that
>was also provided to The New York Times, includes
>accounts from at least two county employees, but is
>based largely on a sworn affidavit provided by the
>Hocking County deputy director of elections, Sherole
>Eaton.
>
>Among other things, Ms. Eaton says in her affidavit
>that a representative of Triad Governmental Systems,
>the Ohio firm that created and maintains the vote-
>counting software in dozens of Ohio counties, made
>several adjustments to the Hocking County tabulator
>last Friday, in advance of the state's recount, which
>is taking place this week.
>
>Ohio recount rules require that only 3 percent of a
>county's votes be tallied by hand, and typically one or
>more whole precincts are selected and combined to get
>the 3 percent sample. After the hand count, the sample
>is fed into the tabulator. If there is no discrepancy,
>the remaining ballots can be counted by the machine.
>Otherwise, a hand recount must be done for the whole
>county.
>
>Ms. Eaton contends that the Triad employee asked which
>precinct Hocking County planned to count as its
>representative 3 percent, and, upon being told, made
>further adjustments to the machine.
>
>County officials decided to use a different precinct
>when the recount was done yesterday. No discrepancies
>were found.
>
>"This is pretty outrageous," Mr. Conyers said. "We want
>to pursue it as vigorously as we can."
>
>But Brett Rapp, the president of Triad, said that
>although it would be unusual for an employee to ask
>about a specific precinct, preparing the machines for a
>recount was standard procedure and was done in all 41
>counties where Triad handles vote counts. He added that
>he welcomed any investigation.
>
>"I've been doing this since 1985, and in all my
>experience this is the first time that we have had any
>complaints whatsoever," Mr. Rapp said.
>
>William Rivers Pitt is a New York Times and
>international bestseller of two books - 'War on Iraq:
>What Team Bush Doesn't Want You To Know' and 'The
>Greatest Sedition is Silence.'
>
>_______________________________________________________
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-- 
Paul Etxeberri

"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow"   ---Chateaubriand