On March 21, Bennett lashed out following the convictions of two Cuyahoga County BOE workers charged with "rigging" the 2004 presidential recount. Bennett said, in part: "… the public deserves to know that the big shots, the lawyers and the special political interests are not going to grind up the people who are doing the public's work at this Board."
Steve Hertzberg of the nonprofit Election Science Institute, which conducted an investigation of major problems that marred the 2006 Cuyahoga County primary election, responded to Bennett's attack by stating, "It is an insult to the intelligence of the Cuyahoga community that Mr. Bennett attempts to lay blame elsewhere while he attempts to maintain his lucrative position on the CCBOE. Not only should this man resign immediately, he should apologize for the myriad of mistakes and the damage he had done to the reputation of Ohio and its citizens.
"Shame on you, Mr. Bennett," Hertzberg concluded.
In another decisive action, which may stand as a major landmark, Brunner has agreed to take responsibility for the preservation of the ballots from Ohio's 2004 presidential election.
The ballots were subject to destruction in early September 2006, as the law protecting them was about to expire. However, a suit involving the King-LincolnBronzeville Neighborhood Association, among others, was filed in federal court. The suit alleges a wide range of civil rights violations against inner city and other Ohio voters in the conduct of the 2004 Ohio election. It also asked that then-Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell be prevented from ordering the disposal of the ballots and other election materials, which he was poised to do.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).