BLACK BOX VOTING REQUESTS RETRACTION FROM OLBERMANN

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CONSUMER PROTECTION FOR ELECTIONS
Last updated: Thursday Dec. 2, 2004 -- Black Box Voting requests retraction from Keith Olbermann, along with an explanation of why MSNBC alleged such an untruth. We have given Olbermann the opportunity to correct his factually flawed editorial by having Bev Harris appear on his show.

Contrary to Olbermann's assertions, neither he nor his staff have ever spoken with Harris to ask her to show anyone the Volusia County tapes. Producers now admit that they have not spoken to Harris at all since November 8, when they cancelled a scheduled appearance on Countdown. Harris did not come to Florida until November 12, when investigations in Volusia County began. Both Executive Producer Izzy Povich and producer Katy Carp admitted they have not been able to get hold of Harris at all since Nov. 8.

When Harris asked about Olbermann's mischaracterizations of the LePore incident (which he characterized as "crashing" "rushing" and "screaming.") Izzy Povich said that they took those details "from other news sources." When asked by Harris, she declined to name any of the news sources. When Harris stated that she has always been, and was still willing to come on the show, Povich said they are not interested in having Harris as a guest, but only in getting copies of the videotapes.

Harris arranged for the owner of the Volusia County videotapes to call Povich and offer her the tapes. Povich admitted that producers had never tried to call the owners of the tape. The tape was offered to Povich by its producers, who called to make the tape available, but Olbermann's producers have so far not returned the call.

Olbermann's producers had earlier asked Harris to appear on the Countdown show, twice, on Nov. 5 and Nov. 8. Each time, after Harris cleared her schedule to appear and shortly before the show, Olbermann's producers canceled the appearance without explanation.

Harris showed the Volusia County tapes to CNN cameramen, but Harris has never been asked to show any Volusia County materials to any MSNBC producers, or NBC producers. The NBC local affiliate in Palm Beach County asked for the LePore videotape, which Harris promptly provided. The LePore tape was aired on both Orlando and Palm Beach County NBC affiliates on Dec. 1.

Also contrary to Olbermann's claims, Harris is not making a documentary, but the makers of the Votergate documentary, an independent team who captured the Volusia County trash incident on film, are eager to interview Keith Olbermann on camera to ask him why he produced this report.

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