Here's the core quote from theOpEdNews article posted today, Saturday, October 20:
He (Bob Fitrakis) replied: "It's very similar to the stuff we reported after '04. We've already reported that they had purged half a million voters in the major democratic cities-- Cincinatti, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo since the 2000 elections and this is the same pattern."
FYI, Bob Fitrakis is a candidate for Governor of Ohio on a voting reform ticket. See:
http://www.bobforohio.com
Bob has also authored several books on election fraud in Ohio. His latest book, out today, was authored with Steve Rosenfeld and Harvey Wasserman, and is called,
"What Happened in Ohio: A Documentary Record of Theft and Fraud in the 2004 Election." See:
http://www.amazon.com/...
For the extended OpEdNews article see:
Fitrakis Ohio Voter Purge Investigation Continuing-- Letters Found
http://www.opednews.com/...
MORE FROM THE STORY:
Since we last spoke Fitrakis reports he has seen or had read to him letters from two different counties.
"Letters were sent out on or about August first, (in Miami county August 6th.) We talked to one person who read us the letter and told us what was in it. And we got a change of address letter that was sent about that time."
Fitrakis reports that, though some basic elements were required by the state, different counties created different letters. That means there could have been as many as 88 different letters sent out. He determined that in Ohio's Miami county, the letters did not require a response which, failing, would cause a purge. The vendor managing the registered voter roll was instructed not to purge voters. But Fitrakis added that all registered voter databases created at the county level are sent up to the Ken Blackwell's central state voter databank, and that it is possible they were purged there, in spite of the local county official's instructions to the vendor managing the records at the local level.
To ascertain just what has been going on with letters to voters, Fitrakis says, "This weekend, we are requesting the letters of all 88 counties."
Fitrakis says, as he reported to OpEdNews earlier, "If we find after our due diligence invstigation there was any inappropriate purging-- if mistreatment for minorities or young people, we will move for an injunction.
"What we're trying to do now is to examine the letters and also, compare the data bases, electronically, from all 88 counties, with the secretary of state's office (database.) But there is the possibility that exists that the private companies that have been contracted to run the voter registration may have taken action, unless otherwise authorized (instructed) not to by the board of elections. And the possiblity remains that the secretary of state's office could have taken action (purged voter names from rolls) and this is still under investigation. It's not a settled issue."
OpEdNews asked, "With the history you already know of, do you have serious concerns that this happened?"
Fitrakis replies,
"This is the exact same pattern of purges that occurred in three key democratic areas in 2004-- Toledo, Cleveland and Cincinatti."
"We believe that past abuses have occurred and these initial reports would be directly in line with the past abuses. The potential that these abuses occurred still exists.
"We are pursuing it. We are gathering information and if that information suggests any of these purges targetted young people or minorities, we are in fact, going into federal court.
"We are not satisfied at this moment that this did not occur. In fact, the evidence suggests the clear possibility that the system would allow such a purge."
Bob Fitrakis told me directly in a phone call yesterday that there was a letter that he had read to him over the phone, but the question about whether any purging is going on must be pursued on a county by county basis. Some Repubican Counties counties are no purge counties, some other counties are possibly not purging on the basis of the letter, and, according to Bob, it being quite likely, based on past purges of exactly the same kind in Toledo, Ohio, that Democratic Counties run by Republican election officials may very well be purging.
BTW, OpEdNews is run by a bunch of folks who are, among many other things, verified voting activists. While Fitrakis may post there, it is not his site.
For years of excellent coverage of the ongoing Ohio election mess by Fitrakis, Wasserman and Rosenfeld, go to:
http://www.freepress.org