Fooled Again Series: Exclusive Interview with "Diebold Whistleblower" Steve Heller
By Joan Brunwasser, Voting Integrity editor, OpEdNews August 26,2007
For those of you who don't know him, Steve Heller became an election integrity activist after the 2000 election debacle in Florida. He became known as the "Diebold Whistleblower" when in January 2004, he stole and exposed legal documents providing smoking gun evidence about Diebold Election Systems' nefarious activities in the State of California. Partly as a result of Steve's actions, in April 2004, former California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley de-certified Diebold in California for what he called their "fraudulent," "despicable," and "deceitful behavior."*
For stealing and exposing legal documents, Steve was charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney with three felonies. In November 2006, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of unauthorized access to a computer. He is currently on felony probation.
Steve is an actor, writer, political progressive and election integrity activist. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actor and writer Michele Gregory. He is also a personal hero of mine.
Q. Welcome to OpEdNews, Steve! I'm delighted that you have agreed to participate in this series of interviews and reflections on the state of our elections, viewed through the prism of Mark Crispin Miller's Fooled Again. Please tell us how you got involved in fighting for integrity in our elections.
A. I first became interested in election integrity after the 2000 election mess in Florida. Before the 2000 election, I had assumed, like most Americans, that in general elections in the United States were trustworthy and that those who took office had been selected by a majority of the voters. How wrong I was!
After the 2000 election, there was a veritable snowstorm of news stories about hanging chads, but nothing in the America press about electronic voting or the electronic voting machine companies. Electronic voting was something that at that point in time I knew nothing about. The corporate controlled media in the United States wasn't helping much; as is unfortunately so often the case these days, if you want real news about America, you need to go to the foreign press and to the blogs. So I did. In the foreign press I read about electronic voting and about the companies that make the machines, especially Diebold (as my grandmother used to say, "May their name be erased!").
In the foreign press I read about the problems with the voting machines, the lack of security, the lack of oversight, and I read about the personal, political, and most importantly the very extensive web of financial ties (follow the money, right?) between Diebold and one of the two major political parties in America. I'll give you one guess which political party it is.
Because of my research, I soon knew more about electronic voting and the voting machine companies than did most people in America. That's not bragging, because at that point in time almost no one in America knew anything about Diebold or electronic voting because the American press wouldn't cover it. The only reason I knew about it was because I'm a hardcore news junkie.
Q. What else did you read to bring yourself up to speed on this subject?
A. Well, the most important thing I read was Bev Harris' book Black Box Voting. Frankly, that book scared the hell out of me, and it also got me angry. After reading Black Box Voting, I came to believe and I still believe that there is an on-going conspiracy to suppress the votes of minority and impoverished (read: Democratic) voters and pervert American elections. This conspiracy has been put into place and is being perpetuated by dishonorable people.
Years ago, if a person had said those words to me - an ongoing conspiracy to suppress votes and pervert America elections - I would have rolled my eyes and thought the person ought to just put on a tin-foil hat and get it over with. But no more. I've seen the evidence, I've seen the documents, I've seen the facts. And it's all too horribly true.
Our elections have been turned into lies, and lies must be challenged.
Q. Some examples, please.
A. We've seen Bradley Schlozman, the recently resigned former U.S. Attorney for Kansas City and controversial deputy head at the Civil Rights Division, bring indictments of ACORN workers just five days before the November 2004 elections. He brought these indictments despite the policy of the Justice Department, which is to not bring election related indictments just before an election. And Schlozman's big investigation of voter fraud led the grand jury to indict four ACORN workers for forging a total of six, count 'em, six voter registration forms.
Joan Brunwasser is a co-founder of Citizens for Election Reform (CER) which exists for the sole purpose of raising the public awareness of the critical need for election reform. We aim to restore fair, accurate, transparent, secure elections where votes are cast in private and counted in public. Electronic (computerized) voting systems are simply antithetical to democratic principles.
CER set up a lending library to achieve the widespread distribution of the DVD Invisible Ballots: A temptation for electronic vote fraud. Within eighteen months, the project had distributed over 3200 copies across the country and beyond. CER now concentrates on group showings, OpEd pieces, articles, reviews, interviews, discussion sessions, networking, conferences, anything that promotes awareness of this critical problem. Joan has been Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews since December, 2005.
There is one part of this fellow's opinions that bother me. He has a myopic viewpoint where certain laws and practices are directed to eliminate Democrat votes. This is not only counter-productive, it is erroneous.
The federal motor-voter bill was pushed by Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Did they want to eliminate minority votes? Both Democrats and Republicans want to control outcomes. Their main target is third-parties. They do this through ballot access laws which stack the deck against them. Both Democrats and Republicans have supported technological expenditures on voting "reforms".
By targeting Republicans, Steve is alienating any of them reading his comments. Everyone should be interested in transparent, secure, verifiable elections. Because he throws the bulk of his suspicion toward corporations and republicans, he draws suspicion towards himself. Even if he doesn't have a specific agenda, he gives the appearance that it might not be a good idea to support his very good conclusions. One wonders what he is really after. If he doesn't like republicans, maybe his solutions would be bad for Republicans.
I'm not a Republican but when somebody makes such targeted comments, I am always going to raise an eyebrow or two.
For instance, in the democratic precincts of Ohio that Steve Heller visited, what is the party affiliation of those running the counties and precincts? Which precincts specifically did he observe?
Again, I am not defending the republicans. I just think that the democrats are as culpable as the republicans. Just look at the Iraq war and the Patriot act. Nobody forced them to vote for either, but they did overwhelmingly. The voting issue is too important to demagogue. We need republicans to get on board.
RF
by
Joan Brunwasser (133 articles, 3335 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 589 comments)
on Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 9:59:45 PM
thanks for your comment. while i am not one to let the dems off lightly, the actual computerized vote manipulation seems to be very one-sided. the corporations are not just republican, but often very right wing and the 'errors' seem to overwhelmingly favor republican candidates. the combination cannot be coincidence - that strains credulity.
regardless of who is at fault, it's another good reason to have a system that can be monitored from soup to nuts. that way, we don't have to trust anyone. as Reagan said, "trust but verify". wise words.
by
Joan Brunwasser (133 articles, 3335 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 589 comments)
on Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 10:03:32 PM
electorate and politicians asked to trust technology
Both sides are working together. That there are two ideologically different parties is the illusion. It's good cop bad cop. They both want to stay in power forever. So they do what they can to lock out the third parties.
On this issue, it's about money. They created this market. They were corrupted by the money from lobbyists. Both sides share the responsibility for the mess we're in.
I don't know if you saw this article, but I bring up some of the same points you are making.
are equally culpable in voter suppression and disenfranchisement. That is just not true.
This interview series uses MCM's book "Fooled Again" as a jumping off point, and Mr. Miller's book goes into great detail and gives documented evidence about the Republican efforts to subvert democracy by subverting our elections for the last 3 election cycles. Hence most of my comments are about that issue.
I agree that all Americans and all political parties need to work together to destroy the very concept of private corporations running our elections in secret with secret machines and secret software. The only thing secret about our elections should be the secret ballot.
BUT... in terms of voter suppression and the on-going conspiracy to supress minority and impoverished voters... that entire mess is to be laid at the feet of the Republican party. To say Dems have had a roll in these activities is just simply false.
by
steveheller (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 31 comments)
on Monday, August 27, 2007 at 11:14:41 AM
"are equally culpable in voter suppression and disenfranchisement. That is just not true."
It is absolutely true. There have been electronic and mechanical machines for as long as I can remember. These have been purchased by officials in both Republican and Democrat states and counties.
Are democrats so stupid that they are being tricked by republican minorities? Or could it be that manipulation of election results benefits either party?
by
Rick Fisk (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Monday, August 27, 2007 at 3:54:34 PM
If you insist that the Democratic party is as culpable in voter suppression and disenfranchisement of minority and impoverished voters as Republicans are, nothing I can say will change your mind.All I can do is remind you, and everyone else on this thread, that the jumping off point for this series of interviews Joan is conducting is MCM's book "Fooled Again."Read that book, and if you still feel that Dems are as responsible for voter suppression and disenfranchisement of minority and impoverished voters as Republicans are, then I will have to believe you are a true kool-aid drinker.
There have been electronic and mechanical machines for as long as I can remember. These have been purchased by officials in both Republican and Democrat states and counties.
Voting machines, machines owned by private corporations that run our elections in secret using secret machines and secret software, have not been around for as long as you can remember unless you can't remember back before the 1990s.And, voter suppression and disenfranchisement of minority and impoverished voters is a separate issue from the secret machines and their secret software.
Are democrats so stupid that they are being tricked by republican minorities?Or could it be that manipulation of election results benefits either party?
See Joan's comment to your original post: "the actual computerized vote manipulation seems to be very one-sided. the corporations are not just republican, but often very right wing and the 'errors' seem to overwhelmingly favor republican candidates. the combination cannot be coincidence - that strains credulity."
Well said, Joan.
by
steveheller (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 31 comments)
on Monday, August 27, 2007 at 5:53:49 PM
"If you insist that the Democratic party is as culpable in voter suppression and disenfranchisement of minority and impoverished voters as Republicans are, nothing I can say will change your mind. "
No, there is absolutely something you could do to change my mind. Provide some evidence that only republicans have benefitted from the machines.
I can remember way further back then 1990 and I can assure you that there have been mechanical or electronic machines used in elections before 1990.
The problem with electronic ballot counters is exactly the same as the mechanical counters.
At least the mechanical machines could be verified by a hand count though hard to do and not often done.
You aren't somebody who can merely drop a few key phrases and expect people to believe you. You have a criminal record. Perhaps the ends justified the means, but you stole communications between a law firm and their client. There are a good number of democrat and republican activists who find the government's actions in this regard to be very, very troubling. At guantanamo, for instance, CIA agents are posing as lawyers and then using materials they gather against the prisoners. Interfering with legal privilege is a serious matter.
To the law firm's credit, it was alerting its client that it was breaking the law.
If you are going to expect to be held out as a hero and credible, you are going to have to at least make an effort to sound credible. As somebody else pointed out, merely throwing around ad hominem isn't going to cut it. You are going to need something more solid than unsubstantiated allegations.
What democrats in office are championing the paper ballot solution? How many republican office holders are on-board?
How many republican officials do you think will be willing to help you now?
by
Rick Fisk (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 12:24:18 AM
If you are going to expect to be held out as a hero.
No way, never in any way have I expected to be a hero. I'm insulted that you'd write that, and of all the words I've written and spoken about my case or myself, I challenge you to point out anything that would indicate I expected to be thought of as hero of any kind.
Again, read Miller's book, do some research on your own.
And now, I'm done debating you. I kinda think you're a concern troll anyway.
by
steveheller (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 31 comments)
on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 8:02:17 AM
Thought you might be interested in the response from one of my list readers. Who knows, maybe more people will come forward.
Peace,
MS
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Subject: RE: Exclusive Interview with "Diebold Whistleblower" Steve Heller by Joan Brunwasser, Voting Integrity ed., OpEdNews
Hello M -
I'm glad to be on one or more of your Email lists lately...
I have a young cousin who worked for Diebold during 2004 and 6 I"m told, and was looking for the way out and onto a different job; I'm going to send this to her aunt who is my 1st cousin.
Sheila
by
Joan Brunwasser (133 articles, 3335 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 589 comments)
on Monday, August 27, 2007 at 6:28:29 AM
CER is a tiny group based in the Chicago suburbs which engages in election reform and which supported my drive to educate the public about the perils of electronic voting, originally through my "Invisible Ballots" lending library and more recently, through my writings and attendance at conferences.
by
Joan Brunwasser (133 articles, 3335 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 589 comments)
on Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 10:22:51 PM
I was disappointed with this interview. I was hoping to pass it around. In particular, to someone who recently asked me how is it possible that if the voting machine companies were fixing elections no one from the voting machine companies have come forward.
I was hoping to learn about the legal documents that he exposed, and how they proved (if they did in fact prove) that Diebold was engaged in conspiratorial behavior. And how he was treated by the press, the democrats, the company, and the courts. None of that came out.
SF
by
Joan Brunwasser (133 articles, 3335 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 589 comments)
on Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 10:24:13 PM
The crime I committed was to violate attorney-client privilege. If I were to discuss the documents and their content, I'd be committing the same crime, so I can't and won't discuss the documents in any way. You might be able to find more information via google search...
I never said that the voting machine companies are fixing elections. I have said that allowing private corporations to use their secret machines and secret software to run our elections for us in secret is just about the stupidest thing a democratic republic can do to itself. I have talked about the various testing that has proven without any doubt that these machines are inaccurate and unreliable, and the overwhelming evidence that the flaws in these machines have changed the outcomes of elections (see Florida's 13th Cong. District race from 2006).
Several employees of the voting machine companies have indeed come forward and exposed various information. Dan Rather's recent report on ES&S's machines and their manufacturing plant in the Philippines had several ex-employees exposing the shoddy quality of the ES&S machines. There's been a lot more, I suggest you check BradBlog.com and Bev Harris' site, blackboxvoting.org, for more information.
For more information about my case, I suggest a visit to my legal defense fund website, especially the "press" and the "news" pages.
Thank you for your comment, RF. A couple of things I want to say in response.
It is a simple fact that in the past 3 election cycles, it is the Republicans - not the Democrats - that have engaged in an on-going conspiracy to subvert American elections.Don't take my word for it.Read Mark Crispin Miller's book "Fooled Again" which goes into very specific details of this still on-going conspiracy.
As Mr. Miller's book makes clear, in recent years it is the Republican party that has specifically and by design set out to undermine free and fair elections in America.They've been very successful at it, so much so that the man serving his second term in the White House has yet to be elected.It's important to understand exactly what has been happening, and if Republicans are alienated by learning the facts about what their party has been doing to American elections, good.Maybe it will motivate them to either switch parties or work for change from within their own party.In terms of feeling alienated, our twice un-elected president and his war of choice, his casual shredding of our constitutional liberties, his disdain for the rule of law, and a host of other issues too long to list here, has made me - and, according to polls, at this point about 70% of the American people - feel plenty alienated from our own government.That alienation has motivated me to get more active.So I hope any Republicans who actually do feel "alienated" by the facts of what their party has been doing will also get motivated to get active on behalf of clean, fair, secure, and accurate elections.
Comparing the Motor Voter law, which allows people to register to vote when they get their driver's licenses, to the kind of voter suppression and disenfranchisement techniques the Republicans have been engaging in, seems silly to me.Regardless of who uses motor voter to register, the law is, by definition, an EN-franchisement law, while the Republican party's behavior is clearly intended to DIS-enfranchise low income and minority voters.Your comparison doesn't make sense.
You wrote:"One wonders what he is really after. If he doesn't like republicans, maybe his solutions would be bad for Republicans."
If you wonder what I'm "really after" I'll tell you that my only agenda is to get clean elections.And my solutions probably WOULD be bad for the Republican party, because I believe they actually lost the last 2 presidential elections.If we had clean elections in which the will of the majority of the voters actually determined the outcome, Bush would never have set foot in the White House unless he'd been invited by President Gore.
To answer your specific questions, I don't remember which precincts in Columbus I visited.I also don't know who was running in the various local Columbus races from Nov. 2004.In the interview, I just told what I saw happening to voters in five minority, low income precincts in inner city Columbus.
You wrote:"I just think that the democrats are as culpable as the republicans. Just look at the Iraq war and the Patriot act. Nobody forced them to vote for either, but they did overwhelmingly."
First, in terms of voter suppression and disenfranchisement, it is absolutely NOT TRUE that Democrats are as culpable as the Republicans, at least since the 2000 election.Again, don't take my word for it, read Mr. Miller's book.The Iraq War and the Patriot Act are separate issues and if you want to discuss the Democrat's cowardly capitulation on these and other issues, you'll get no argument from me.But in terms of voter suppression and disenfranchisement, it is absolutely and unequivocally FALSE that in the last 3 election cycles, Democrats have been as culpable as Republicans, or for that matter have
