ABRAMOFF-DIEBOLD-NEY TIMELINE: HOW THE GOP STOLE DEMOCRACY--Recommend!

[Dems Will Win]

THE BIGGEST SCANDAL OF ALL?

http://smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/05/abramoff6106_narrowweb__300x413,0.jpg

Diebold Payment to Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff's Former Firm

In perhaps the biggest scandal of all, the GOP and Jack Abramoff conspired and successfully stole our democracy through extremely corrupt dealings between Jack Abramoff, Greenberg Traurig, Convicted GOP Rep. Bob Ney of OH, the White House and really the entire GOP Congressional Caucus, in order to foist the hackable Diebold voting machines upon an unsuspecting and trusting public.

This biggest scandal of all truly reveals the sad fact that you can’t trust Republicans. Period. And no one should ever vote for any Republican ever again, as a protest vote over this—the biggest American scandal of all times.

Why is it the biggest? Because the Republicans clearly and deliberately stole our democracy. Here’s the timeline that shows the criminal patter. Use these facts and links liberally in Letters To The Editor. We need to play up the Abramoff Scandal more than ever now that it INCLUDES DIEBOLD AND VOTE-COUNTING FRAUD.

1990s – Republicans and investment equity start several computerized voting machine companies, using proprietary software to hide the source code that actually does the counting. Diebold is centered in Ohio in Bob Ney’s district, providing many jobs.

2000 – Katherine Harris and the GOP take the close election in Florida and force through Bush’s stolen even though later tabulations show Gore won if all the votes had been counted. Paper ballots are discredited by the famous hanging chads, setting up the push for computer voting.

2001 – Ney’s Chief of Staff David Distafano turns lobbyist for Diebold and at least one other voting machine company. One of DiStefano's crows about his having "an insider's edge to hard-to-reach political officials."

2002 – $3 billion HAVA bill mandating computer voting is passed in the House, shepherded by Ney, Abramoff and Delay, helping Diebold and the other companies write the legislation. Abramoff and Greenberg Traurig also use the HAVA bill to squeeze the Indian Casino Tribes to cough up more bribe money for Republicans and in lobbyist fees, with Abramoff and Ney lying about Sen. Chris Dodd and his help on phony amendment to aid casino gambling in the HAVA bill. Abramoff and Ney e-mails show outright fraud and bribery.

2002 – Programmer Clint Curtis testified that he was asked in 2002 by GOP Rep. Tom Feeney to create vote-stealing code for voting machine, which he does. This software seemed to have been used in the 2002 stealing of Sen Max Cleland’s seat in GA.

2002- Distafano and partner Coffee rewards Ney with $20,000 in campaign contributions, starting in 2002. Abramoff has Indian tribes contribute tens of thousands of dollars to Ney and pay the notorious $100,000 for the St. Andrews golf junket.

2002 – Diebold and AccuPoll start paying Distafano and partner Roy Coffee $250,000 in lobbying fees. Diebold starts paying $275,000 in lobbying fees to Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff’s firm.

2003 - Ney prevents the mandating of verified paper trails for Diebold and the other companies.

2004 – “"in 2004 numerous news organizations reported that the RNC spent millions hiring a questionable company called Sproul & Associates to do voter registration. Election and law enforcement officials in multiple states opened investigations into this group upon published reports that that they hired temporary workers to register only Bush supporters, Pro-life supporters and Republicans. Thousands of voter registration applications collected from Democrats by registration workers paid for by Sproul & Associates were reported to have been destroyed in a number of states.”- Donna Brazile. http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/08/acvr_report_rid.php

2004 – Ney writes “Dear Colleague” letter against amending HAVA for paper trails. In a clever twist, Ney “argued at the time that paper records on such machines would somehow disenfranchise disabled voters, who had been cleverly afforded a special provision in the bill which mandated at least one disabled-accessable device in every voting precinct in the country. That device, of course, would be a paperless touch-screen electronic voting machine, like the ones made by Diebold, which, legislators, vendors and lobbyists would later proffer, were required to meet provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).” Ney also stops Holt’s bill to reform HAVA. http://www.bradblog.com/?p=2262

June 2004 – Diebold payment of $12,500 to Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff’s former firm. http://www.bbvdocs.org/moneytrail/greenberg.pdf

November 2004 – Massive Election Fraud in Ohio prevents voters from voting and changes counts through software. Kerry loses to Bush.

March 17, 2005 – First known use of the “American Center for Voting Rights” (ACVR} for URL domain registration. This day must have been when Republican operatives Mark F. "Thor" Hearne and Jim Dyke—from the 2004 Bush Cheney campaign--formed this PHONY Institute with an official sounding name.

March 21, 2005 – Two business days later, the ACVR GOP bag men testify at the House Administration Committee hearing, really a smokescreen by Chairman Ney, to cover up the stealing of the 2004 Ohio Presidential vote. They cook up imaginary voter fraud epidemic to distract from the real stealing of the 2004 vote in OH by the GOP.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=1708




August 8, 2005 – Pittsburgh Tribune Editorial on AVCR being a FRAUD: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/vassilaros/s_360812.html

2005 – Bradblog Timeline on phony ACVR GOP front group: http://www.bradblog.com/ACVR.htm

August 2005 – In another voting scandal, Noe in Ohio guilty of election violations for 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign.

September 2005 – GAO report on HAVA disaster: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001940.htm

September 2006 – Ney indicted in Abramoff scandal and for unknown crimes, including perhaps taking illegal $34,000 bribe from casino. Ney to plead guilty and could get 10 years, recommend 27 month sentence.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003261271_ney16.html

Sources: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=2262, others embedded.

PLEASE RECOMMEND AND WRITE LETTERS AND E-MAILS TO GET THIS DEVASTATING STORY OUT THERE.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Greenberg Traurig? Is that a law firm?

When a law firm is found that guilty involved with corruption, what is the prognosis?

Throw me a bone.

[theguvnorgc]

2. yes...

they have offices all over the bloody world. got their fingers into every kind of business....

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. I know the type on a smaller scale.

Looked up the partners and lawyers in this one law firm we have in the County, and damn if they didn't have one partner living in each municipality in the County. They're like Al Qaeda cells.

Welcome to DU.

[truedelphi]

57. Scary? Yep, Scar-eeeeeee!!!! n/t

[Dems Will Win]

3. They should be shut down like Arthur Andersen

They are representing the legal profession! THey must be shut down.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. We are not going to make inroad with this corruption problem until

we start shutting down the corrupt law firms. Self-regulation isn't working out well for the public. It's the reason why there are predators and bottom-feeders in our society who are exploiting the rest of us. They know we have children to put through college, or just working to keep our jobs and we A) can't find an honest attorney; or B) can't afford one to puruse civil remedies.

And the FBI couldn't give a shit.

[Sydnie]

14. Interesting info from Sourcewatch.org

"In 1998, Greenberg Traurig was named one of the top lobbying firms in the nation by Fortune magazine. The Firm was ranked No. 40 among the nation's top lobbying firms having 'the most power and access in the business.'" <5> (http://businesscounsel.org/firms/displayFirmOverview.asp?id=9)


Other interesting tidbits from this site -
"Ethics experts say Scalia, Thomas connections not conflicts of interest," (http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/12/12/supreme.court.conflict/#2) CNN, December 12, 2000: See "Justice Scalia's sons": "Another Bush lawyer, Barry S. Richard, is a partner in that firm's Tallahassee office."
"Florida Attorneys for Bush and Gore to Debate 2000 Presidential Election Recount," (http://clasnews.clas.ufl.edu/press/2003/03pr_debate.pdf) University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, March 25, 2003: "Barry Richard, chief Florida attorney for Bush ... an attorney of Greenberg Traurig law firm in Tallahassee,..."
"Greenberg Traurig Instrumental in Florida Vote Recount Victory," (http://www.gtlaw.com/pub/pr/2004/reyesc04a.htm) GTLaw.com, January 13, 2004.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Greenberg_Traurig

[Dems Will Win]

15. Greenberg Traurig never asked Bush/Cheney 2000 for the $314,000 they are

owed from the Recount Fight.

Quid Pro Quo...

[The Backlash Cometh]

26. Yep. That's how it would be done.

[DoYouEverWonder]

37. Then it should be considered a campaign contribution

and should be treated has such. Since Bush/Cheney never reported the contribution then they are in violation of election law.

[Chipper Chat]

33. "Greenberg Traurig" sounds like the title of a Wagner opera.

Sing Fat Lady, sing!

[The Backlash Cometh]

36. I hear the Crescendo!

[lonestarnot]

40. They've been playing it rather loudly for years. Somebody please

shut that shit off!

[Chipper Chat]

46. Oh Faust - keep praying for more decibels.

May Gotterdammerung arrive for the Neocons.

[Imagevision]

4. Need Diebold story to gain traction before the election...!

[KittyWampus]

6. This thread is a work of art. Really. Hope the NYTimes picks up some

of these threads... and YES the NYTimes has covered perils of Electronic voting.

[Dems Will Win]

8. Thanks --

LET'S ALL EMAIL LOU DOBBS WITH THIS THREAD!

[yowzayowzayowza]

21. All of this appears to date back to last January.

Whatz new? And we appear to be missing a link on a minor point:

November 2004 – Massive Election Fraud in Ohio prevents voters from voting and changes counts through software. Kerry loses to Bush.

Art? An interesting frame, but the canvas is blank. Are am I blind?

[Dems Will Win]

27. Darn this short edit time! Here is the link:

Mr. Chairman, though our time is limited, I must bring to the committee's attention the most recent and perhaps most troubling incident that was related to my campaign on Sunday, December 12, about a shocking event that occurred last Friday, December 10.

A representative from Triad Systems came into a county board of elections office un-announced. He said he was just stopping by to see if they had any questions about the up-coming recount. He then headed into the back room where the Triad supplied Tabulator (a card reader and older PC with custom software) is kept. He told them there was a problem and the system had a bad battery and had "lost all of its data". He then took the computer apart and started swapping parts in and out of it and another "spare" tower type PC also in the room. He may have had spare parts in his coat as one of the BOE people moved it and remarked as to how very heavy it was. He finally re-assembled everything and said it was working but to not turn it off.

He then asked which precinct would be counted for the 3% recount test, and the one which had been selected as it had the right number of votes, was relayed to him. He then went back and did something else to the tabulator computer.

The Triad Systems representative suggested that since the hand count had to match the machine count exactly, and since it would be hard to memorize the several numbers which would be needed to get the count to come out exactly right, that they should post this series of numbers on the wall where they would not be noticed by observers. He suggested making them look like employee information or something similar. The people doing the hand count could then just report these numbers no matter what the actual count of the ballots revealed. This would then "match" the tabulator report for this precinct exactly. The numbers were apparently the final certified counts for the selected precinct.

Triad is contracted to do much of the elections work in this county and elsewhere in Ohio. This included programming the candidates into the tabulator, and coming up with the rotation of candidates in the various precincts (that is, the order of which candidate is first changes between precincts). They also have a technician in the office on election night to actually run the tabulator itself.

Triad also supplies the network computers on which all of the voter registration information and processing is kept for the county.

It was unusual for the computers to be taken apart. At least one member of the Board of Elections was told the tabulator was in pieces when he called to check on the office.

The source of this report believes that the Triad representative was "making the rounds" of visiting other counties also before the recount. This person also stated they would not pass on the suggestion of the "posted" hidden totals, and would refuse to go along with it if it were suggested by the others in the office at the time.

The source of this information believes they could lose their job if they come forward.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/121604Z.shtml

[yowzayowzayowza]

29. Thatz more old news.

Sorry, bulbz kinda dim today. What does Diebold patronizing Abramoff's firm have to do with Triad? Again, whatz new?

[NoBushSpokenHere]

35. and the source came forward and was fired - she filed

a civil suit against the BOE - trial is expected in March.

Where else but America would you be fired for standing up and telling the truth regarding a request to commit a crime?

Why were there no reprimands against the ones who kept quiet (there were other election officials present) about this?

[BeFree]

9. Yep....the biggest scandal ever. No doubt

But we are on to them now. Will we be able to stop this election from being outright stolen? That's the question. Come 2008, we will be back to more honest elections.

This election there may be just enough extra eyes that see machine leveraged vote imbalances. I'm looking over the shoulders of my local people and they know they have to do something. What shakes out we shall see.

What may happen is that the vendors don't go for broke.... that they know big changes will get damn good scrutiny so they may not swing big numbers, just a few close races.

Everyone needs to be asking questions of their local folks. They may be as honest as can be, but these machines are beyond their control.... unless they get suspicious.

Our job is to make them become suspicious. The OP lays out a damn fine case for being suspicious, eh?

[bleever]

10. Hey, look:

Here's Karl on election night, 2004. By the way, the woman next to him is his executive assistant, Susan Ralston, whose previous job was as Jack Abramoff's personal secretary.

Remember that Rove recalled about election day that he knew the exit polls were wrong because of his own "internal" polling. Remember also that Abramoff lobbied for Diebold and has ties to the creation of HAVA, which required electronic voting with no paper trail.

So what do you think ol' Karl might be saying into his telephone?


Originally posted here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x423695


Great thread! The timeline lays it out pretty well.

:thumbsup:

[Dems Will Win]

11. Here's Jack's Secretary Feeling Up Bush's Stomach

Think he likes it....

[Dems Will Win]

12. THe Bush Cheney campaign is now giving back $50,000 of the

Noe money. Only $50,000 to go I think:

http://www.forbes.com/business/commerce/feeds/ap/2006/09/15/ap3021677.html

[Dems Will Win]

13. Ney pled guilty on Friday:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges in the congressional investigation into corruption and bribery involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to the Justice Department.

Ney pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements in a deal in which he will cooperate with the Justic Department's influence peddling investigation.

The Justice Department and Ney's lawyers agreed on a sentencing recommendation of 27 months in prison, provided Ney continues to cooperate, but the final sentence will be determined by a federal judge. Ney entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility earlier this week and did not appear in court Friday, according to one of the sources.

...

According to the documents filed today in court, in February 2003 and again in August 2003, Ney made two trips to London, during each of which he and members of his staff met with a foreign businessman who was hoping to sell U.S.-made airplanes and airplane parts in a foreign country. Ney agreed to help the businessman with obtaining an exemption to the U.S. laws prohibiting the sale of these goods to the foreign country, and Ney also agreed to help the businessman obtain a visa to travel to the United States. On February 21 and 22 and again on August 29, Ney and the staff members accompanying him each received thousands of dollars worth of gambling chips from the businessman for use at private casinos in London. As a result, Ney eventually pocketed more than $50,000. Ney admitted that he never returned any of the free chips to the businessman and never shared with the businessman any of the money he had won as a result of the free chips.

[Dems Will Win]

17. Check out the Princeton Video on hacking DIEBOLD:

http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/videos.html

[Justice Is Comin]

20. I'm hoping the Papantino and RFK suit gets going

next month. All they're waiting for is the expiration of the formality that they had to give the justice department a chance to take this over or partner up.

I'm holding my side just laughng at the thought of that happening. The little grease ball attorney general is getting white hair trying to figure a way out of this.

But as soon as that 60 day requirement of this legal obligation expires, Pap can unload a whole bunch of stuff they already know from their investigation but was forbidden to tell before giving the required notice to the Justice Department.

Look for these revelations to shake the world. He's dying to do it, and it won't be long now.

[Dems Will Win]

23. WHEN IS THE DEADLINE UP?

[Justice Is Comin]

25. I think it just hit the magic mark.

The suit was filed July 13th under the "Whistleblower Act" or Qui Tam which is basically civil fraud. That would mean the 60 days was up September 13th.

Now Pap and Robert can procede in the place of the Justice Department on behalf of the taxpayers.

It was a stroke of genius to file the suit under this Act. No way for them to stop it or avoid depositions. He said he said what he will reveal from the witnesses they have will be blockbuster. Way beyond anything we have heard yet.

[ooglymoogly]

44. this needs a stand alone thread so that the intrepid

investigators on du can give us the lowdown on what is really happening here. what needs to be debunked and what needs to be hyped. so that the emails we send to people like olberman and the rest of the news,senators and congress is on point. this looks like it is big.

[Joanne98]

48. Justice is working to shut Ney up!

[rndmprsn]

16. K+R

[gordianot]

18. So many scandals which is the greatest?

If you you are going to be a criminal go all the way. Abramoff is a thug.

[Dems Will Win]

19. Well there's creating PHONY defense companies

to get $700 million through earmarks for GOP TV ads (Cunningham/MZM/Wilkes)...

Then there's supporting forced abortion and sex slavery in the Marianas with Abramoff and Delay and Sweeney...

Then there's lying to COngress and America about WMDs to go to war in Iraq...

There's the Moonie/GOP scandal...

The breaking of felony law in the NSA warrantless wiretaps and the breaking of the Geneva Conventions, (war crimes)...

Use of White Phosphorus weapons in Iraq on civilians (Falluja war crime)...

Plan D Prescription Drug Scandal...

Abramoff Casino Scandal...

Delay Scandals...

BUT I THINK THIS IS REALLY THE GREATEST SCANDAL, BECAUSE THE STOLEN ELECTIONS MAKE POSSIBLE ALL THE REST OF THE CORRUPTION.

PLUS WE MUST SIMPLY OUTLAW LOBBYING AS WE KNOW IT!

[gordianot]

24. I almost feel sorry for Nixon, comapred to BFEE he was small time.

On the other hand they are better organized this time. To keep up you have to keep a list since News Media died in America. Thanks

[Poiuyt]

22. Thom Hartmann once said that the stolen elections were the most important

story in the history of our country next to the Civil War.

Thanks for the good post

[Independent_Liberal]

28. Yeehaw!!!

I feel like leaping through the ceiling right now!

:bounce:

[samsingh]

30. is this starting to get more attention?

it's one of the greatest threats to democrasy.

[Independent_Liberal]

31. K&R!

[autorank]

32. Truly first rate.....I'm in awe. K&R

[bleever]

45. Pretty damn good post, isn't it?

Makes me proud, yet again, of DU.

:hi:

[autorank]

49. Me too, put it in Election News "Week in Review" - new feature

...:)

[rosesaylavee]

34. Great information

K & R and Bookmarked. This is why I love DU - where else could we find this information all in one place!

:kick:

[mod mom]

38. Get this out to local folks, read comments posted to this Cinci Pol Blog

"Hastert on Ney" (BTW you can leave comments anonymously)

http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/

[lonestarnot]

39. Rub their fucking noses in it! Theiving bastards!

[glitch]

41. It would take volumes to cover all their rackets. Wonderful post K & R nt

[stubtoe]

42. This is awesome. Sending to everyone I know!

[cmd]

43. One correction - Diebold isn't quite in the 18th district

It is actually located 20 miles north of the 18th's northern border. Other than that, the article is accurate.

[Joanne98]

47. I was just going to say that.

[Dems Will Win]

50. Will change in update, maybe the lines changed?

[helderheid]

51. KEITH OLBERMANN n/t

[jarnocan]

52. cool a show about this?! I sent the

info-a quote and link with a loink to the Princeton video to many media outlets and congress folks.

[jazzjunkysue]

53. Too late to recommend but not to kick. Where did you get all this?

The image of the check? Is this out there anywhere yet? Why isn't Rawstory on it?

[Dems Will Win]

58. Most of it through this link:

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=2262

The check stub is from Black Box Voting site, found in a dumpster I believe. Brad Blog talks about it in the link above.

[dusty64]

54. Big Kick!

:kick:

[Jcrowley]

55. ELECTION FRAUD

The third all-important reason the Republicans will shake off modest losses this midterm election, and then beat the Democrats to death with their own severed legs, is ELECTION FRAUD.

http://counterpunch.org/tripp09162006.html

[senseandsensibility]

56. kick and I wish we could kick

all the repugs out of Washington at the same time!:kick: