In Texas; Attorney General Greg Abbott has used a law that
makes it a crime to posess an absentee ballot even when it is in a sealed envelope and you have the votors authorization to prosecute people who have assisted the elderly to vote. Just taking a sealed envelope was enough to get charged, but only if you were Democrat. Every person who is being prosecuted is a Democrat andd almost all of the people who are being prosecuted are elderly. Abbott is touting the effectivness of the law and aggressively prosecuting 13 mostly elderly Democrats.
Federal Judge Blocks AG Abbott's Vote Suppression Scheme
US District Court Judge John Ward granted a preliminary injunction stopping Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and Texas' Republican appointed Secretary of State Roger Williams from enforcing the Law.
The Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle said, "Greg Abbott was not only improperly enforcing a flawed statute, but creating an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. Abbott has acted in a shameless manor, and Judge Ward's order is welcome protection for voters in Texas."
If David Van Os gets elected to the Attorney General's office I am sure he will dig into the facts and prove that Abbott selectively prosecuted democrats. I just hope that David can prove an abuse of power against Abbott.
I just received a copy of Texas' Democratc Party Chairman's press release, I'm looking for a link.
Dear fellow Democrats,
Tonight, I have more good news to share with you - the Texas Democratic Party has won a preliminary injunction stopping Attorney General Greg Abbott and Secretary of State Roger Williams from prosecuting voters who are trying to help seniors exercise their right to vote.
Texas Republicans know that they would lose fair and free elections. That's why they've done everything they can to stack the deck...even if it means willfully ignoring the law and abusing the power of their office.
The examples of Republicans misdeeds are numerous:
· Republicans blatantly broke the law when they pushed through an illegal redistricting plan that disenfranchised thousands of Hispanic and African American voters.
· They broke a long standing state law when they illegally used corporate money to fund state house elections.
· And, most recently, they tried to override the results of a legally held primary by attempting to remove Tom DeLay from the ballot when he decided to quit, instead of facing certain defeat at the ballot box.
As Chair, I've made protecting every vote a priority and will not sit idly by while Republicans attempt to suppress the rights of Texas voters.
I will keep you updated as this case develops.
Your friend and fellow Democrat,
Boyd L. Richie
Chairman
[update]More from the parties press release, still no link found.
PS - Here are more details about the lawsuit and Abbott's selective prosecution of Democrats.
AG Greg Abbott is exploiting a technical flaw in the election code to selectively prosecute Democrats who are trying to help seniors exercise their right to vote.
Yesterday, the Texas Democratic Party joined six Texas Democrats and filed a federal lawsuit challenging provisions in the Texas Election Code enacted in 2003. The complaint asks the court to block Attorney General Greg Abbott's use of this technical flaw as a means to harass and suppress minorities, seniors and disabled individuals.
Let there be no doubt that the Texas Democratic Party adamantly opposes real voter fraud, but it is shameful for Greg Abbott to exploit the law to target minority and senior voters. What he is doing is nothing more that a public relations campaign trumping up a so-called voter fraud `epidemic' in a blatant attempt to create a backdrop of fear and intimidation in certain Texas communities.
Here are a few facts:
· Abbott's voter fraud task force has prosecuted 13 individuals, 12 of which are African American or Hispanic. Most are elderly and female, and all have Democratic voting history.
· In eight of these cases, Abbott is prosecuting Texas voters for the simple act of assisting an elderly voter by making sure their completed and sealed ballot is placed in a mail box or delivered to an elections office. In none of these eight cases was the assistor accused of mis-marking a ballot or doing anything fraudulent.
· Abbott has been using taxpayer dollars, approximately $1.2 million in the form of federal Byrne grants, to fund his voter fraud task force. Byrne grants are intended to assist law enforcement in fighting violent crime, and voter fraud is not mentioned in the federal government's description of the grant's purpose.