Fitrakis: Blackwell had direct access to central tabulator!

[AtLiberty]

Bob Fitrakis was on The Laura Flanders Show on Air America Radio a few minutes ago...

He stated that he's recently learned from a subcontractor/installer of Diebold that Blackwell had direct access to the central tabulator in Ohio from his office and could alter results...

He told Flanders that this was the first time he was revealing this tidbit, which he learned after his book was published.

[goclark]

1. How can we find out more! Blackwell is such

a criminal.

They don't have big enough leg irons for that fool.

[redacted]

26. Tonight's Laura Flanders Show available through Bittorrent:

http://bigelow-springs.net/airamerica/

Anybody have a link for an MP3 archive?

[JackRiddler]

37. Wait a minute...

Although Diebold is based in Ohio and active in OH politics, the state's voting machines are primarily ES & S.

This doesn't mean a Diebold contracter couldn't know this info, but man, for something this big we need clarification.

[librechik]

54. I think of Diebold and ES&S as the same entity

just cuz they use ES&S doesn't mean Blackwell in OH didn't juggle the number for Rove--on ANY central tabulator.Maybe when they shut the courthouse down for the "terror alert." I understand that is where the relevant computers were.

[JackRiddler]

57. Warren County (courthouse)

That example you are giving is what happened in Republican-controlled Warren County. This was not the location of the central tabulator, it was a hand-count of paper ballots for one county. County authorities shut out the press and traditional public observation of the process with a bogus terror warning (that did not come from HSD, as they claimed), presumably in order to fake the count.

If anything, this shows us why paper ballots are superior- you have to actually grab'em and hide'em to fake'em.

Falsification of electronic tabulation requires no shutdown or overt signs of action; that would be the opposite of its intent. The actors performing the keystrokes could do it under full scrutiny (long as no one who understands the software can see the screen), in the open, with everything apprearing routine. Therein is the danger of e-voting.

Sure, ES & S and Diebold are directly tied to each other: the CEO of one was brother to the Vice-President of the other. But still, we must have clarity in our reports on these things.

[mod mom]

65. Lucas County where NOE had his greedy paws did, and since he

did, 5 of the 7 (Repug) supreme court justices have recused themselves. Lucas County is the home of Toledo, which although rich in Dem votes had such massive problems that Kenny boy had to investigate it. If we can get Blackwell/diebold through this channel we would more likely get a favorable court!

By the way...Ohio was not stolen by only one method. Blackwell used multiple methods: voter registration problems, mis-allocation of machines, challengers and caging, and machine manipulation.

[Last Lemming]

2. Will this go anywhere?

Is anything ever going to happen?

[IndyOp]

7. Is anything ever going to happen?

Things *are* happening -

Dean announced this past week that the 17,000 lawyers who volunteered as election protection this past November -- will now be working with citizens who want to propose new legislation across the country and that there will be another major announcement about this issue within the week. He needs to do a LOT more - but I was encouraged that he is applying his "50 State" approach to voting rights/voting protection.

What gives me real hope that the criminals of the last election will be revealed (tried & jailed) is the continuing dirt that is being dug up about Tom Noe and all of the rest of the Rethugs in Ohio.

Also - LOVED Fitrakis' statement on Laura Flanders that a tech/programmer for a certain voting machine company (D******) was the one who was coming out to say that Blackwell had *override* capabilities on the central tabulators so that he could *correct* reports from the precincts. What we need is a few more good D****** techs/programmers who will tell us how it was done.

:kick:

[Last Lemming]

9. You know

shouldn't one be enough--or do we have to flip the entire company?

[IndyOp]

22. The one Fitrakis has so far isn't sharing his name yet - we need

more than one. We need people who know how the system is set up, and we need people who overhead people planning to cheat, and we need people who can testify to the fact that they witnessed cheating or saw evidence of cheating immediately after the election.

:kick:

[Straight Shooter]

3. Where was Blackwell located, at all times, during the election?

I'm very curious to know. Also, who was with him? Also, who had access via a remote location to the tabulator access in Blackwell's office?

One question leads to a hundred more.

[evermind]

4. Strange that he'd say it's the first time he's talked about this

because I remember reading some people on here commenting on him making the same allegation on "bradblog" (I think - I'm not familiar with it) about 4-5 days ago?

It's a pretty mindboggling allegation.

This should be a big story in print somewhere, if it can be made to stand up, shouldn't it?

[garybeck]

38. he said it on the brad show (radio)

last saturday

on the brad show he didn't go into much detail so that's probably why he said it is the first time

[shraby]

5. It's like my sig line

There are questions to be answered and answers to be questioned.

[smoogatz]

6. Well, there you go.

So Blackwell himself could have altered the results without ever leaving his office. As far as Blackwell is concerned, "could have" and "did" are synonymous. Jesus. They really did steal it, the sons of bitches.

[TwentyFive]

8. Now, why would they need DIRECT ACCESS to the CENTRAL TABULATOR?

Just the fact that they gave the machine the capacity to alter votes....proves that they, at the VERY least, intended to alter the results of the election.

If you have the ability to alter the results...in secret...with no paper trail...what would stop you?

[smoogatz]

19. What indeed.

I can't believe every democrat in Ohio isn't jumping up and down over the OBVIOUS conflict of interest--let alone all the detail of apparent dirty dealing Fritakis et al have revealed.

[AtLiberty]

33. Means, motive, opportunity...

I repeat --

Means, motive, opportunity...

[MelissaB]

10. Somebody else said this recently, too.

Who was it?

[MelissaB]

15. It was on the Brad show last week. Right?

[evermind]

21. Fritakis apparently said it 11 Jun on bradblog's Brad Show on

Raw Radio.

See post #64 at http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001454.htm (a live thread from Fritakis' radio appearance..)

[MelissaB]

23. I've been searching for the DU discussion thread, but can't find it.

Thank you for posting this.

[AtLiberty]

29. Fitrakis said that tonight was the first time...

...he was revealing this news.

[LightningFlash]

60. Not the first time.

He's had the men who installed the software on record saying it since his appearance on Bradshow.

[MelissaB]

61. Post #49 below has the links. This isn't the first time he said this on

air. I'm not sure it really matters, but it isn't the first time...

[kimpossible]

11. Outrageous, but not surprising

Hopefully this whistleblower who gave that information will lead to more!

[dooner]

12. SAY WHAT????

I guess "we" trust him not to mess with the tabulator, huh?

OMG.

[jimshoes]

13. Heard the very end of the segment

on the radio show so I'm glad you posted this AtLiberty. I want to hear more from Firtakis on this. Also I want the Noe thing investigated to the hilt. You just know it leads straight to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[BattyDem]

14. Does he have proof?

If so ... GET IT TO CONYERS! Oh hell, I know JC is really busy right now, but get it to him anyway. He knows how to make noise! :evilgrin:

[shraby]

16. I certainly hope they are taking good care

of that tech.

[Selteri]

24. Or get it to Marcy Kaptur. NT

[mod mom]

66. Fitrakis has good connections to Conyers!

[Twist_U_Up]

17. and the way the repugs have been voting

in lockstep with one another on issues that there is no way that they would get re-elected for voting that way, just goes to show you THEY KNOW THEY CANT LOSE

[biscotti]

18. Then there is

Peter King (R) New York video from Ohio
Scroll down to Peter King's picture and watch the quick video about 20 seconds from election day in Ohio with *. He says "We'll take care of the counting"

http://whatreallyhappened.com/2004votefraud.html

[Daphne08]

69. That King comment is very blatant! Has he ever been

called on that?

[bleever]

20. Would this not be, ipso facto, a criminal violation?

Just as if Kathy B had taken all the votes back to his house to count, and come out later and told us that although the dog had eaten the ballots, he was fully confident that his own counting was precise.

Does this *really* conform to the legal standards for the conduct of an election??

[Melissa G]

25. Sounds criminal to me! n/t

[helderheid]

27. GREAT - thank you!1

Any chance there is an archive of this anywhere??? The show I mean!

[Nothing Without Hope]

28. Here's the earlier thread where Fitrakis said it on BradBlog:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=377409

It's in the replies. This was posted last Sunday, June 12.

In addition to Blackwell's access, he says state troopers recorded all events. (So, have those records been destroyed? They would be a smoking gun if they still exist. Would also be interesting if they show suspicious gaps. And we know the time frame of the manipulation pretty well.)

[AtLiberty]

30. I wonder why he said he was revealing it tonight for the first time?

Maybe he was thinking in terms of a broader audience?

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. Or maybe there were particular details he was giving for the first time

Would need to compare transcripts to be sure. Maybe it is indeed the wider audience he was referring to as you suggest - not too many heard it before in comparison.

Important thing is that it is being said and that - crossing my fingers - it can be documented. If I'm correctly interpreting what was written in the BradBlog thread and the info is accurate, the state troopers had some kind of record of these communication events. If so, that would be an important line of inquiry. Where are those records? Were they selectively destroyed?

[AtLiberty]

32. It was just a blip, really...

He said that the subcontractor/installer had signed affidavits recently...too late to place the info in the book.

Flanders asked if the subcontractor worked for "D"... I don't remember the exact exchange, but Diebold came out of it.

Good news also -- Fitrakis' book is selling like hotcakes!

[Nothing Without Hope]

34. Maybe the subcontractors signing was new info. Wow! doing darned

well at Amazon.com for a $40, 772-page, nearly 4 pound paperback non-funny political book with a really ugly cover! No reviews have been submitted yet, so DUers will have to see about that:
http://tinyurl.com/ax3vo

http://images.amazon.com.nyud.net:8090/images/P/0971043892.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[AtLiberty]

36. I love Bob, but you're right -- DAMN UGLY COVER!

I hope the graphic artist isn't an election fraud activist hanging out on this forum.

[kster]

78. Or a broader targeted

audience, in other words to the election hackers, we gotcha now come clean. Even if Blackwell had access, he still needed plenty of help to pull it off. That help, may be who Fritakus was talking to.

Just a thought.

[AtLiberty]

35. I'm surprised at how blatant the fraud was...

They were so arrogant, they didn't bother hiding a lot of what they did.

I don't get it. Did they already figure out that mainstream media wouldn't follow up? That nobody would care? What?

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Yes, that's the biggest mystery in this. Why were they so sure

they would get away with such an overwhelmingly brazen, treasonous act - in fact a coup d'etat? I have to believe that they were very certain of their hold on the corporate media and underestimated the potential of the free internet. Think back over everything that we know or suspect happened and ask yourself - what evidence and what Congressional support would we have now without the community of progressive internet activists? Damn little, I'm thinking.

The Administration also had its own agents who could silence people who were stirring up too much trouble or knew too much, I believe.

Even the central core of the Democratic party had stepped away from the question of the election being stolen. Even before he could possibly have known, when his own observers were en route to report the horrors they had seen on Election Day, Kerry conceded. Many of us hoped that he was secretly assembling a case and would un-concede, but that doesn't seem to have ever gotten underway.

To me, the mystery of why the Dem party didn't resist is even more disturbing than why the bought monopolistic Poodle Press went along with the theft. I've never heard a convincing explanation. Theories, yes, but not one of them has ever really explained it for me. I'd rather not think they were in league with the GOP powers all along, and without another explanation, I'm stumped. Sometimes I've wondered if an unmistakably dead-serious message might have been delivered to Kerry that if he didn't concede, something terrible would happen to his family. Maybe not immediately, but in untraceable "accidents" over the next, say, 5 years. We'll probably never know for sure why he acted as he did.

Perhaps the inner circle of the Bush Administration is not really sane and believed their own propaganda enough to assume their total victory was inevitable. Backed by their plants on the Supreme Court and in Congress and preventing all serious investigation via the Justice Dept thanks to political cronies in commanding positions, they did and do have a powerful position. And of course, they took care to have all those unverifiable electronic votes. Maybe they had been assured by the software guys that there would be no tracks to follow. But under it all, there is this insane-seeming assumption of invulnerability and inevitability.

I also worry about the loyalty of top military leaders - is it to the Constitution or to the Bush/Cheney cartel? Did the cartel assume that if anything serious went wrong, they could declare a state of martial law -- perhaps backed up with a staged domestic attack even worse than 9/11, perhaps nuclear -- and the military would support them? That possibility really worries me. There's no question that Rumsfeld would feel no qualms about it, and there are clearly many high-ranking leaders who have silently followed his and Bush/Cheney's lead in a range of hideous crimes in Iraq and in the torture camps.

[kster]

40. The one thing I'd say is

the Dem's and everybody surrounding the Dem's ( writers, producers, actors)where very vocal about politics, up until Nov 3rd, 04. Could there have been a plan ? Sharpton, Michael Moore, Jesse Jackson and so many more that are out spoken,but there was complete silence after Nov 3rd,04 could there have been a plan?

[Nothing Without Hope]

41. For many people, like Michael Moore, I think it was simply dazed

shock and despair. It took a while to get going again and a while after that for word to spread on what happened on the ground. The momentum gathered slowly at first. New groups had to form, information had to be gathered and analyzed, word had to be spread, people had to be re-energized. Even so, enough had been put into motion to generate the unprecedented challenge of the Ohio vote certification in early January. That is truly an amazing accomplishment, and it really marked a beginning of serious, widespread resistance.

So I think most of the early silence outside the inner circle of the Democratic party was just dazed despair. Within that inner circle, I really don't know what happened.

[kster]

42. So you think

the Dems loss had nothing to do with electronic vote eating machines?

[Nothing Without Hope]

43. They did of course, plus the voter suppression. What puzzles me

is why the top Dems didn't rise to fight this. I'm not saying they're complicit in it, I'm saying i don't understand why they didn't respond more than they did over all those months with evidence piling up that the election had been stolen. I've not yet seen an explanation that makes sense to me. So to me it's a mystery.

[Carolab]

44. NWH. That is what eats me up too.

What in the hell is going on? You KNOW they KNOW and they KNEW it then.

[Nothing Without Hope]

46. Exactly. And so far as I know, the top Dems are STILL not breathing a

word about the election's being stolen. The last I heard, Kerry was still saying that yes, there were some problems, but he was sure it wasn't enough to affect the outcome of the election. Not only did he start saying that before he could possibly know it was true, but he is still saying it when there is good quantitative evidence that it is false. Furthermore, if it's true that the "glitches" were so minor, why work hard to fight election fraud and voter suppression? Clearly, trusting our democracy to all those GOP-owned, secretly-coded, unverifiable, hackable electronic voting machines isn't really so urgent a problem after all.

I've never seen an explanation that is even near acceptable. I don't want to believe Kerry and the others were complicit, so what has been going on? Some kind of behind-the-scenes blackmail? Something else? WHAT?

[AtLiberty]

47. If Dems are guilty of election fraud, then we're pretty lousy at it...

[Zan_of_Texas]

51. Nice post, nwh.

Thoughtful, well-reasoned.

Remember the war between Iraq and Iran? Remember that the US was arming BOTH countries?

Sometimes I wonder if our "spirited, competitive democratic elections" in this country are just somebody's idea of a fun game. Entertainment for the masses. The media likes to have spirited battles that are predicted to be razor close -- they sell ads and newspapers. But, at the end, the results are about as convincing as the results in pro wrestling.

[intensitymedia]

45. the conspiracy is simple, big, ugly, dirty - now let's get the bastards nt

[AtLiberty]

48. I haven't heard the Fitrakis interview again in the archives...

I could swear that Fitrakis said "affidavits" pertaining to the subcontractor/installer.

I'm sorry if I got this information wrong. There were several other people in the room here talking during the interview; I was shhing them and cranking up the volume. I could have got it wrong.

Normally I'm careful with details before posting a thread. I was too excited...

HOWEVER, Fitrakis did say that Blackwell had access to the central tabulator via his office.

[Nothing Without Hope]

58. Don't worry about it - I'm glad you posted this thread. He did talk

to the subcontractor/installer and there WERE three "back doors" into the system, including the one in Blackwell's office. I've posted a link to the archived Brad Show Fitrakis interview downthread (MP3 audio file).

[MelissaB]

49. Bob Fitrakis talked about this last week. Links

here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x377215#377222

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x377215#377222

[farmbo]

50. Golden Oldie research thread on Triad Government Systems tabulators...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2768979

[Zan_of_Texas]

52. an article that includes Triad discussion, plus remote access

EVEN A REMOTE CHANCE?
by Pokey Anderson
January 10, 2005

http://www.votersunite.org/info/evenaremotechance.htm

{SNIP}

TRIAD - Just Phone It In

Let's look at Triad. Triad is a tiny, family-owned operation based in Xenia, Ohio. Triad runs the tabulation software that counts 41 of Ohio's 88 counties. Standard punch card readers read the ballots, then the Triad software kicks in to tabulate the counties. Triad also runs voter registration in 53 Ohio counties. ...After the Nov. 2 election and before the recount in Ohio demanded by the Green and Libertarian parties, Triad made some changes, adjustments, or re-programming -- whatever you want to call it.

Triad's Brett Rapp says the company did this to all its 41 counties:
"Prior to recount, when the SOS announced the recounts should commence, all counties get guidelines, what's included on reports. All reports that are produced for this recount only show the presidential race. In order for the machine to show that, there has to be a change made to tabulation reporting, tell the machine only to report the presidential totals. We wanted to make sure -- not just in Hocking, in all our counties. We helped them prepare the recount to make sure, counties had set up properly. ... The computer system? Has a report file that shows all of the offices and issued that are programmed. We had to make a change for the report file to show that it would only display the presidential race." --December 2004 interview with Triad President Brett Rapp and Triad Vice President Dwayne Rapp, by Evan Davis and Terri Taylor.


Green Party observers add some information for two counties:
Fulton County, Ohio
"The Director for Fulton told me that Triad is able to reprogram the computer to count only the Presidential ballots by remote dial-up."

2004 Ballot Recount: Observer Report
Cobb - LaMarche Ballot Recount Reports by County
December 19, 2004: Report by Green Party County Coordinator <http://votecobb.org/recount/ohio_reports/counties/henry.php>


Van Wert County, Ohio
"When asked if Triad had serviced the machine, the deputy director and a board member stated that they had serviced the machine over the phone via modem on December 9th."

2004 Ballot Recount: Observer Report
December 21, 2004: Report by Green Party Observer <http://www.votecobb.org/recount/ohio_reports/counties/vanwert.php>

{SNIP}

[Nothing Without Hope]

53. Here is testimony from an Ohio voter - we need to PAY ATTENTION:

http://www.thousandreasons.org/get_article.php?article_id=13

I live in Ohio and saw and heard election "fraud" first hand.

(snip)

{Facts he can personally vouch for:}

(snip)

3. On 11/2/04 I saw election fraud first hand. First, a Republican challenger actively worked with the precinct judge and officials during the voting. Just by chance, one of the three voting machines went down, and when the data was posted from that machine a few days later, it held the most Bush votes, even though it had the lowest numerical number of votes in it. (The other two machines had about 31% Bush votes in them .... the one that went down as it was being tallied held 42% Bush votes) Even though all voters came from the same precinct.

4. On 11/3/04 I tried to call a voter protection phone line but it had been hacked into by a very sophisticated operation. When I got through all I heard was weird music and a never ending hold. Within an hour of Kerry's concession, the block was gone from the line and replaced with a busy signal. A question keeps going through my mind: why would somebody want to stop a fraud protection phone line if "they" were not up to something?

5. On 11/15/04 I went to a public hearing in Columbus, Ohio, where I was to give sworn testimony about what I saw and heard regarding the election. I saw at least five people (I got there when the meeting was more than half over) get up and say something to the effect of, "I voted for Kerry but the light went on for Bush." That got almost no coverage in the press.

(snip)

[meganmonkey]

55. The house of cards is falling.

I really think it is. Patience patience patience...

This is the kind of thread I like to see in this forum!!!

:bounce:

[zann725]

73. And I've always felt it would be Blackwell that 'brings it down'...

...by accident OR choice.

[Nothing Without Hope]

56. Here is an MP3 AUDIO RECORDING of the 6/11 Brad Show Fitrakis interview:

BradBlog has archives MP3 files of his radio show. According to the archive site (http://bradblog.com/BradShow), this is the MP3 file for the 2nd hour of the June 11 show, when he was interviewing Fitrakis:

http://bradblog.com/BradShow/Archives/BradShow_061105_Hour2.mp3

There is some introductory unrelated info and ads for the sponsors, then the Fitrakis interview begins. I'm listening to it now. Fabulous!!!

The same day (6/11) also included an interview with Ray McGovern!

[kster]

59. kick.nt

[mzmolly]

62. O.M.G.

:wow:

[helderheid]

63. I edited the MP3 - entire interview HERE

http://wanderingstar.com/design/bobfitrakisAAR.mp3

This is from the Laura Flander's interview

[riqster]

64. Quite possible

There is no one watching the custodians, so they may do as they wish.

[lostnfound]

67. Fitrakis just discussed this on Sunday Monitor tonight.

Should show up in archives at kpftx.org eventually. Probably in a couple of hours.

[SophieZ]

70. Fitrakis on archives - now available.

http://www.kpftx.org/archives/kpftsignal/index.php

After headlines, Kathleen Wynne and a computer expert start things off re the optical scan hack in Florida in front of the cooperating election supervisor. Then Fitrakis. He starts with the tech whistleblower and the central tabulator in Ohio. SOS' office and State Patrol had access too!

[AtLiberty]

75. Thanks, Sophie!

[Stevepol]

68. KickateekickateeKick!! n/t

[autorank]

71. At Liberty, Great information. Thanks so much.

If they establish this by sworn deposition, this is a key link in the chain of fraud evidence.

NEW LEADERS FOR A NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Contact the DNC and Tell Them to PREVENT Election Fraud

[Nothing Without Hope]

72. A kick for a great thread! n/t

[emlev]

74. In our excitement, let's also remember what happens to those

who blow the whistle. We need them. They need our support.

Please contribute to the Sherole Eaton fund. If you don't know who she is, or for info about how, see this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x377793

[Nothing Without Hope]

76. another kick for anyone who hasn't yet read through this thread

There is good information and commentary throughout. Read it before it is archived so you can leave your own.

[paineinthearse]

77. I am

WOW'ed!

Have been away a few days, a DU buddy turned me on to this post.

Are there any written reports or other documentation?

[Unforgiven]

79. Kick Please!