Phillips documented reports that technicians from voting equipment vendor ES&S visited county election divisions, in some cases programming vote tabulators. ES&S technician Sam Hogsett is a named defendant in the federal law suit. He stands accused (p. 21) of "adjusting computer software in tabulators and by other means to officially count more votes for Bush in predominantly Republican suburban and rural counties than were in fact cast for Bush in those counties in the 2004 general election in Ohio." The Free Press reported Secretary of State Blackwell dispatched Hogsett by name to help with the 2004 Fairfield County recount. Why?
A critical theme that runs throughout the evidence gathered is the attack on minority citizens, specifically those who chose to vote. Successful suppression of the Democratic vote requires a concerted attack on the voting rights black citizens. The evidence gathered and documented lends credence to the immoral and unconstitutional practice in Ohio.
Of the 11 counties in the Phillip's declaration, 10 reported that some or all destroyed or lost Election Day 2004 ballots. Not one of these counties indicated any regret for the loss. Not one of them took any responsibility for failure to obey the law on secure storage of election materials. And several either lost or destroyed ballot evidence while Phillips was conducting his research. Why?
Due to the evidence gathered by Phillips and associates, the amended filing for KLBNA v. Blackwell et al documents even more instances of election fraud and voter suppression. Of 27 counties where election fraud and voter suppression took place according to the suit, 19 failed to return all or some of the ballots and other evidence that they were ordered to produce. Why? (See summary of the KLBNA v. Blackwell et al evidence)
Maybe this was just a series of coincidences. It happens all the time. Right? Defendants routinely destroy evidence while they wait for trial. There's nothing to see here. Move along.
What were they hiding and why?
The destroyed and lost ballots, hidden forever, were key elements in the KLBNA v Blackwell suit claiming election fraud in Ohio
The specific evidence examined by Phillips was presented in September, 2006. It was a road map to the case that seeks to prove criminal acts of election fraud and voter suppression. It was also a road map of another sort, one that offered the path to undermine charges and potentially end the case in a definitive and final way.
Given all this, what's one logical response if you're guilty? Destroy the specific evidence supporting Phillips' claims and more. Destroy, lose, and hide as much evidence as possible, let's say about 1.5 million pieces of ballot evidence. They'll never prove anything without the ballots. We'll cry 'sour grapes,' 'sore loser,' and our favorite, 'conspiracy theory.' The media won't even carry the story.
Yet the case proceeds in federal court. Despite the destroyed evidence, there are still extensive records of voting patterns and election practices that denied Kerry supporters their right to vote and have their vote counted. There remains the meticulous record in the form of data, analyses, photographs and video tapes. The people of Ohio and the United States demand a rational process to examine our flawed election system. It's time for the truth about Ohio's 2004 presidential election. No subsequent election can have meaning and legitimacy without that truth.
ENDS
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