Election official hammered for telling truth about Diebold-Miami Herald

[Amaryllis]

More MSM coverage! Let's write Fred Grimm and thank him for covering this.

MIami Herald
Posted on Tue, Mar. 07, 2006
IN MY OPINION

Election official hammered for telling the truth

BY FRED GRIMM
[e-mail]

Ion Sancho may be a hero in California, where grateful election officials have verified the ''serious security vulnerabilities'' in Diebold voting machines that the Leon County election supervisor uncovered last year.

Sancho is regarded a little differently in Florida.

Florida's secretary of state's office disparaged Sancho's finding, demonstrating considerably more interest in propping up vendors than protecting elections.

California, alarmed by Sancho's report, dispatched its independent, expert-laden Voting Systems Technology Assessment Advisory Board to conduct its own investigation.

Florida, meanwhile, threatened to sue Sancho.

For the rest:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14034640.htm

[MelissaB]

1. He may be a hero in California, but messing with monied interests ...

another snip...

He may be a hero in California, but messing with monied interests makes him a pariah in Florida.

California's voting systems assessment board issued a report last month that cited -- in the very first paragraph -- Leon County's security tests. Sancho had dispatched renowned computer expert Harri Hursti of Finland to attempt to hack Leon County's Diebold voting system. He did. Hursti demonstrated that someone inside the supervisor's office could both alter the outcome of an election and erase any trace of his meddling.

[mod mom]

2. He should really stay clear of small planes.

[Wilms]

3. K&R n/t

[kster]

4. K-n Recommended...nt

[blue4barb]

5. k&r.

[BeFree]

6. An honest public official in Florida? No way? Way!

Yeah, but the state is gonna try to hammer him. I just read that he's got a lawyer to fight back... gonna sue the company that refused to honor a contract. The state is gonna need a bigger hammer now.

Check out DU's own Elections Forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=203

[Kurovski]

7. K&R (nt)

[Trevelyan]

8. K&R Sancho is a very brave man -- we need to protect our Whistleblowers

if we want more to come forward by making their names household words to protect them. Remember Raymond Lemme. Those SOBs.

Sibyl Edmonds has a new petition on Bradblog and her site http://www.JustACitizen.com which links to her government Whistleblower Protection Group and has information on Russell Tice.

[ohtransplant]

9. Does anyone have Sancho's e-mail addy?

Seems like he could use a little support for protecting the vote.

[confludemocrat]

10. If FL secy of state doesn't like Sancho, then by definition I trust Sancho

just like by definition anything Bush and Cheney touch or initiate: guaranteed disaster

[meowomon]

11. I've known Mr. Sancho for years

This guy is the absolute bomb when it comes to integrity! We worked together years ago in the Rainbow Coalition and his understanding of political and social issues is above par. Tallahassee, Florida is a fairly progressive place for being the state capitol of a "red" state. F.S.U. was considered the "Berkley of the South" back in the '70's and F.A.M.U. has an excellent reputation as well. Leon county and it's neighboring Gadsden county (where I currently live) are predominanty Democrat surrounded by the redneck sea of Republicans. That is the only reason this Lesbian can stand living in this area.

[Gelliebeans]

12. great to hear

first hand experience meowomon and welcome to DU :hi:

[tallahasseedem]

13. He is a kind, honest man.

We highly regard him here in Tallahassee. Whenever election time is upon us he is always out greeting voters down at the courthouse.

[gr8gol4]

14. We need your help!

This is part of a message I received from Janet L. Olin, Assistant Supervisor of Elections here in Leon County in regards to helping defend Mr. Sancho's exposing the vulnerabilities of voting machines. It took a lot of courage for this man to stand up to the entrenched Republican culture of corruption we have here in Florida. It would not surprise me in the least if he loses his job over this.

"You could help our efforts further by contacting those in authority that can make the difference, such as the Governor, committee members of the ethics and elections committee of the Florida Legislature.......We hope there are communications such as yours to our county commission supporting the actions taken by Supervisor Sancho."

Perhaps some of the '6 or 7' Bradblog readers could help out with some calls, faxes or emails. Below are the numbers and addresses. I'm going to try and do a short video from that meeting.


This is the Secretary of State, Sue Cobb's email address, who is causing a lot of the problems. She is no different than Katherine Harris, whom I doubt no one has forgotten. All three voting machine companies that are certified to sell machines in Florida are refusing to sell machines to our county because of Mr. Sancho's courageous stand. Sue Cobb refuses to certify any of the other systems like the paper marking system discussed earlier on your site. We could also go to paper only voting in this state eliminating all these problems, which she also refuses to do. This is all because the Republicans in state are not only in bed with the voting machine companies but are humping like teenagers in orgy of cronyism.
[e-mail]

Others:

[e-mail]

Florida Commission on Ethics
[phone] fax
[phone] tel

Florida Elections Commission- this is an important one!!
[phone]
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/contactus/emailForm.shtml

Leon County Commissioners:
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail] (defended Mr. Sancho- please thank him)
[e-mail]

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
This is the commissioner that attacked Mr. Sancho, so much so that the other Republican on the Board (Tony Grippa) apologized for his fat mouth. The whole time the Commission was going on Tony Grippa was looking at blackboxvoting.com on his laptop, apparently astounded that all the systems certified by the state of Florida have problems. Grippa's call to convene a grand jury to investigate Ion Sancho was (or appeared to be) more to find out why no one will sell machines to Leon County unlike Commissioner Ed DePuy, a Republican lobbyist, who wanted to know the answer to that question too (although he damn well already knows the answer- his cronies are blackballing Mr Sancho and this grand jury attempt is payback!).
[e-mail]
--
Sincerely,
Robert M.
blueblogsradio.com

[JudyM]

15. Great info. Consider posting this in the election reform forum -

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Trevelyan]

18. Thank you for the addresses. Will do!! eom

[CanOfWhoopAss]

19. Thanks for the contact information

Let's show him he has support!!!

[Higans]

16. Typical, attack the messenger.

[xxqqqzme]

17. I haven't seen that issue

of deception dollars - good one