UPDATE ON von Spakovsky & His Nomination for Federal Elections Commission

[mod mom]

from Muckraker:

Last week, Hans von Spakovsky testified before the Senate Rules Committee that he'd been something of a wallflower when he worked at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. His critics had it all wrong, he said. Despite claims that he'd led the Department's efforts to overturn the voting rights section's traditional work protecting African-American voters -- using the division's power instead to spread the myth of voter fraud and purge state voter rolls -- von Spakovsky said that he'd merely been there in an advisory capacity. People asked his opinion and he gave it, that's all.

But those who actually worked under him in the voting rights section say otherwise, calling him the de facto head of the section.

And in a letter to the Senate Rules Committee yesterday (the committee is considering von Spakovsky's nomination to be a commissioner at the Federal Election Commission), a group of former voting rights professionals in the Department laid out the numerous areas where von Spakvosky had been less than forthright in his testimony. You can read the letter here.

We've already noted one area where von Spakovsky's testimony is highly disputable. McClatchy, reporting on yesterday's letter, highlights another.

-snip

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003464.php



Here's the June 18 McClatchey article:



Justice official accused of blocking suits into alleged violations

By Greg Gordon | McClatchy Newspapers

Posted on Mon, June 18, 2007


WASHINGTON — A former Justice Department political appointee blocked career lawyers from filing at least three lawsuits charging local and county governments with violating the voting rights of African-Americans and other minorities, seven former senior department employees charged Monday.

Hans von Spakovsky also derailed at least two investigations into possible voter discrimination, the former employees of the Voting Rights Section said in interviews and in a letter to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. They urged the panel to reject von Spakovsky's nomination to the Federal Election Commission.

White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said that von Spakovsky wouldn't comment on the latest criticism. She said he's "preparing a point-by-point rebuttal that will address these issues" and "looks forward to working with members of the Senate during the confirmation process."

Von Spakovsky blocked a major suit against a St. Louis suburb and two other suits against rural governments in South Carolina and Georgia and halted at least two investigations of election laws that appeared to suppress minority voting, one of them in Wyoming, said Joseph Rich, the former voting rights section chief.

-snip

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/200/story/17102.html



Internet comment left by CHO:

(http://www.realcities.com/multimedia/nationalchannel/archive/mcw/Gordon.pdf) between von Spakovsky and DeGregorio also indicate von Spakovsky's potentially law-breaking activity in his attempted "dealmaking" over issues that DeGregorio considered a matter of law. They further show that von Spakovsky was (possibly improperly) attempting to influence DeGregorio and the Election Assistance Commission with respect to voter ID studies and proposed laws in Arizona.



LOOK FOR von SPAKOVSKY'S POLICIES TO CONTINUE:

Look for von Spakovsky's policies to continue. Cameron P. Quinn, von Spakovsky's replacement, was on the board of directors of the American Center for Voting Rights before her 3/7/06 appointment.

By mrs panstreppon :



Who is Cameron Quinn and how did she come to be associated with the thoroughly discredited American Center for Voting Rights?

From a US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) report (p. 12):

"February 16, 2006

ACVR Generally

Other officers of the ACVR-Thor Hearne II-general counsel and Brian Lunde, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee.

Board of Directors of ACVR-Brian Lunde, Thor Hearne II, and Cameron Quinn"

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/mrs_panstreppon/2007/jun/18/cameron_quinn_american_center_for_voting_rights_director

[formercia]

1. Infestation within the DNC

being a Democrat doesn't mean shit any more.

[aquart]

2. ?

Not getting the connection.

[formercia]

3. Plain as Day...

Other officers of the ACVR-Thor Hearne II-general counsel and Brian Lunde, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee.

Board of Directors of ACVR-Brian Lunde, Thor Hearne II, and Cameron Quinn"

[aquart]

4. Ah.

Then that relationship does bear inquiry.

[mod mom]

5. Lunde Co-Chaired Dems for Bu$h with Zell Miller (since 2000)

Brian Lunde is a former Democrat campaign manager who defected to become a Bush campaigner in 2000 US presidential elections. In 2004, Lunde co-chaired Democrats for Bush with Senator Zell Miller, which resulted in the recruitment of over 5,000 state and local Democratic elected officials, activists and rank-and-file party members who publicly endorsed the President's re-election. Lunde also served as Chairman for the American Center for Voting Rights, an organization that promotes the regulation and oversight of voting in US elections. Critics have alleged that the organization is actually a GOP front group that worked to promote Republican candidates and challenge voter registrations in minority areas. <1>.

During Lunde's term as executive director of the Democratic National Committee in the mid-1980s, he is reported to have fundraising ties with indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff <2>.

Lunde registered in order to lobby for George Birnbaum in 2001. According to the registration filed with the Secretary of the Senate, Lunde's job was to "set up meetings for President Kabila of Congo." By working for Birnbaum and not Kabila directly, Lunde avoided disclosure laws that would have required him to register as a foreign agent with the Department of Justice.<3>


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Lunde

definitely a FORMER Dem

[mod mom]

6. Wow! read this letter signed by Voting Section attorneys-very damning!

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/letter-rules-vonspakovsky/?resultpage=1&