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| Democrats convicted of vote fraud |
| 2005-06-30 |
| EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- A federal jury Wednesday convicted the head of this city's Democratic Party and four others of scheming to buy votes with cash, cigarettes and liquor last November to try to get key Democrats elected. Jurors in the monthlong trial deliberated more than five hours before convicting local Democratic Party chairman Charles Powell Jr., 61, and Kelvin Ellis, 55, the city's former director of regulatory affairs, of felony conspiracy to commit vote fraud. Also convicted were Democratic precinct committee members Sheila Thomas, 31, and Jesse Lewis, 56, and City Hall worker Yvette Johnson, 46. Ellis, Thomas, Lewis and Johnson also were convicted of one count apiece of election fraud for allegedly paying at least one person to vote -- or offering to do so. Powell was never charged with that count. Jurors set aside defense claims that the government's case was flimsy because of unreliable witnesses whose testimony often contradicted each other and, at times, was recanted. ''I respect the jury, but I am disappointed,'' Ellis' attorney, John O'Gara, said after the verdicts. He said the defense would consider asking for a new trial. A date for sentencing was not immediately set. ''We'll take it one step at a time in terms of where we go from here,'' said Johnson's attorney, Pearson Bush, who declined to elaborate. Messages left with attorneys for Powell and Thomas were not immediately returned. Voice mail for Lewis' attorney was full. Prosecutors provided little evidence directly linking the defendants to the alleged vote-buying, often relying on secretly recorded audiotapes in which they say those accused could be heard talking about paying $5 per vote in the Nov. 2 election -- and whether that amount would be enough. A federal prosecutor in the case referred calls to his boss, U.S. Attorney Ron Tenpas, who did not immediately return messages left at his office. Prosecutors alleged that money flowed from the Belleville-based St. Clair County Democrats to their East St. Louis counterparts in a bid to elect certain Democratic candidates, including Mark Kern as St. Clair County Board chairman. Kern, who narrowly won the race, has denied the allegations and has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Powell lost his re-election bid to the City Council in April after his arrest. State records showed that tens of thousands of dollars were transferred from the county Democrats to the committeemen days before the Nov. 2 election. Party leaders said it was for legitimate expenses, including rides to the polls for people without cars. Defense attorneys called the audiotapes -- the cornerstone of the government's case -- meaningless entrapments by opportunistic informants intent on seizing power for themselves. Defense attorneys called the prosecution's key witnesses liars. ''I would say jurors looked at these tapes and listened to them, and I'm guessing they are using the interpretations these very faulty witnesses gave them to reach their conclusion,'' O'Gara said after the verdicts. ''I would not have trusted the government's presentation.'' Another tidbit on this case from Powerline;This is, really, only the tip of the iceberg; still to come is an attempted murder trial arising out of the effort by a Democratic Party official to murder a witness who threatened to blow the whistle on the Democratic official's corruption. Based on press accounts, I understand that in the attempted murder case, the prosecution will offer into evidence photographs that were shown to the Democratic Party official, which appeared to show the dead body of the witness whom the official had ordered murdered. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #15 The real questions should be: 1. Were proper taxes paid on the cigarettes and beer? 2. Are the defendants libel in civil court for providing their constituents with hazardous products? 3. Didn't they know that cigarettes would be harmful and possibly habit forming for these poor votors? Hopefully these partisan operatives didn't make the mistake of purchasing Malt Liquir instead of regular beer for their bribing. If so, I'm sure that the race-baiters and liberals will have their heads. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2005-06-30 18:21 |
| #14 If I hit "refresh" more often, I would have seen Dave D's comment and not needed to say nearly the same thing. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-06-30 17:20 |
| #13 JFM: In criminal cases, the trial only determines Guilty or Not. Sentencing usually happens by a judge at a later date. There are exceptions, but usually for things where the death penalty is involved. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-06-30 17:18 |
| #12 JFM: here in the States, sentences are usually imposed (sometimes by a judge, sometimes by a jury) at a later date. It may be months before we hear what, if anything, will be done with these clowns. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2005-06-30 17:08 |
| #11 2b, soundpolitics just about did that after the last Washington State election. You can look up who, of your neighbors voted and their address (but not how they voted). Unfortunatly even proving that a voter is an imaginary friend isn't enough - you have to prove (drum roll please):
Look for Donks trying to get laws like this passed in other states.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-06-30 15:01 |
| #10 I have been unable to find info about the sentences: a 1$ fine? a gazillion dollar one? Twenty years at Sing-sing? Shot at dawn? Gitmo? Being forced to listen Air America? |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-06-30 14:59 |
| #9 I always thought it would be fun to get cameras rolling in districts where you know fraud is going on. Then make it available online and allow the blogosphere to analyse and compare how many of these bozo's voted more than once or in more than one location. Allow And put the names and addresses of those who voted online, so if I live at 123 anystreet, and there is not now and has never been anybody next to me named Joe Smoe, then I can let someone know. If we start putting these smucks in jail, the glamour of an extra $20 would wear off fast. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-06-30 13:52 |
| #8 Sometimes I think that if there were ever a genuinely fraud-free election in this country the Democrats would lose just about every other position they now hold. I think it really is that bad. |
| Posted by: Heynonymous 2005-06-30 13:31 |
| #7 Tkat: "Another peek inside the pig ugly underside of Democratic politics" Underside? More like the top side. They don't even try to hide this shit most places. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-06-30 12:57 |
| #6 Reminds me of when they caught Mario "Crack" Barry sucking on a crack pipe with a hooker. The obvious cry from the left was "He was set up!" You have to wonder how they get into that alter universe? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-06-30 12:37 |
| #5 I love the tone this reporter's taken. If I hadn't checked the link, I'd have sworn this was a press release from the Donks: Prosecutors provided little evidence directly linking the defendants to the alleged vote-buying, Proven, I think, now that there's a conviction. often relying on secretly recorded audiotapes in which they say those accused could be heard talking about paying $5 per vote in the Nov. 2 election -- and whether that amount would be enough. Gotta love that: "provided little evidence... relying on audiotapes in which the defendants can be heard talking about paying $5 a vote". Sounds like enough damned evidence to me. The phrasing and word choices in this piece are almost textbook examples of spin: o Continuing to use the word "allegedly" despite the conviction. o "Jurors set aside defense claims the case was flimsy... unreliable witnesses...". Yeah, that's what happens in cases -- the defense claims the evidence is poor, the jury often decides otherwise. o Those convicted are "the accused" instead of something more accurate, like, oh, "convicted". On and on and on... The only thing unusual about this story is that the party affiliation is mentioned in the first sentence. Usually a Democrat's party doesn't get mentioned until after the jump, if ever. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-06-30 12:20 |
| #4 Another peek inside the pig ugly underside of Democratic politics as usual on the local level in our cities. They can present whatever public national face they want but for those of us who live and work in cities governed by Democrats, this is the reality of all it has ever been. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-06-30 11:59 |
| #3 And we will see this on ABC, NBC and CBS ...... never. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-06-30 11:43 |
| #2 |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-06-30 11:24 |
| #1 Too bad you can't take the court ensemble, judge, jury, et al, and go on the road with 'em. Wisconsin, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, etc. So many crooked rotten DhimmiCrook Machines, so few monkey wrenches. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-06-30 10:56 |