Black Box Voting files lawsuit #2: Palm Beach County

[BevHarris]

(Lawsuit #1 filed by Susan Pynchon of Florida Fair Elections Coalition on Volusia County. )

Today's lawsuit was filed naming Teresa LaPore as defendant, citing her for failure to comply with our public records request of Nov. 2, 2004.

We filed the lawsuit this morning in Palm Beach County, served it per Florida law on LaPore's attorney, but did not want to leave her out. We made a surprise visit to the podium at the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections meeting held today in Orlando, where LaPore was being introduced.

We went in through the kitchen, using a reconassaince map provided by a colleague, led by Kathleen Wynne dressed as hired help. The lovely Kathleen, in black jeans and a white polo shirt. Earlier, she had traveled through the route to the back entrance to the supervisor's meeting, nodding to the waiters, "very nice, very nice," she said authoritatively.

Kathleen led me and Andy through the back way without raising so much as an eyebrow, since she looked like hotel staff.

I went onto the podium and introduced myself to the crowd. "I know I'm interupting. This will only take a minute." I turned to LaPore, "Since we can't get your attention any other way, I'm serving you with a courtesy copy of the lawsuit we served on your office this morning."

LaPore glared, turned her back on me, and refused to take the lawsuit, so I set it on the table in front of her.

Andy stood up in front of the crowd of perhaps 200 Florida elections officials.

"This was a courtesy call on Ms. LaPore for failing to produce public records," he said. "For any of you who have not complied, we have more of these coming."

The crowd erupted into deafening shouts, boos, gavel-pounding, and then Kathleen stepped up smack dab in front of the crowd, took a sturdy stance and panned the crowd with her video camera.

"This is what democracy looks like," she said, as the officials scowled and shouted for the sargeant at arms.

Unfortunately, the sargeant at arms was nowhere to be found. (Perhaps imbibing in the Sequoia Voting Systems lounge, just down the hall? We may never know.)

We made haste out the back door, but accidentally tripped a loud screeching alarm.

At this moment we are relaxing with the Internet in a lounge, but we understand that the meeting broke up and people fanned out all over the place to ... I dunno ... capture us?

Do await a small bit of news on Ohio, thanks to Kathleen and cohorts. It will not shake the earth, but we are chip-chip-chipping away.

Be the media

Thanks, all, for your continued support.

Bev Harris - Executive Director
Andy Stephenson - Associate Director
Kathleen Wynne - Investigator / Media spokesperson
Black Box Voting
http://www.blackboxvoting.org
full text of lawsuit: you can find it on the Palm Beach County clerk web site under elections lawsuits -- something like pbcountyclerk.com, perhaps someone can look at that link.

A typed version is up at http://www.blackboxvoting.org/palm-beach-county-lawsuit.html


LaPore,

[Karenca]

1. GO BEV!!!!!!!

N/T

[pdx_prog]

2. it would be nice

to have been a fly on the wall...:)

[ewagner]

3. That woman has guts..........

WOW!

Way to go Bev............:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

:toast: :toast: :toast:

[Blue Gardener]

4. This is absolutely fantastic

You guys are the best!

[Malikshah]

5. So very beautiful

I am so glad I don't have your nerve in my tooth :)

Lovely and wonderful-- you outdo Michael Moore--and what is more (no pun intended)-- your work is much more important and effective.

Kudos to all involved!!

[Pachamama]

6. What I wouldn't have given to have been there watching this! AWESOME!

Excellent work Bev, Andy, Kathleen! Keep it up! I can't wait to see this video footage of the hissing den of thieves....

:bounce:

I wish I was able to help out in any way....I'll send more money, but if there is anything else Bev, please advise us all....

Thank you for fighting for my children's future! :hug:

[clarisse1956]

7. go bev

first time i've smiled in a month..thanks for you good work...
:bounce: :toast: :kick:

[ourbluenation]

8. OMG - To have been a fly

on that wall! You people are fabulous and true patriots!!!

JTT

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. GO BEV and this is what civill disobedeince looks like

GO GIRL

[bullimiami]

10. bev you are the best.

the absolute best.

[crispini]

11. bravo! What fun!

[Cyrano]

12. Outstanding, Bev. History will judge Bush as a garbage pail, but

but you will be looked upon as one of the great heroines of our era.

On edit: anyone who hasn't done so already, send a contribution to Bev at blackboxvoting.org. It's the least you can do. She's out there fighting for our freedom every day.

[noclonyofthechimp]

13. You honestly go above and beyond the call of duty! We luv you!

:loveya:

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. Ms LaPore...

Was not amused.

[slutticus]

61. ANDY!

Holy shit! You guys are awesome!

So you guys videotaped the whole thing?

[nostamj]

15. ya know, I was thinking about you two all day....

wondering WHEN we'd hear the latest adventure. hysterical! gonna make a GREAT movie someday.

[ClarkUSA]

16. Thank You, Bev...

Doncha wish Kerry would take an interest?

[BevHarris]

24. Have heard from two well-placed sources that he has

Dunno. Will see.

[Joanne98]

17. Outstanding. I can't wait to see the movie.

[Catch22Dem]

18. Amazing! Will we get to see the video? (n/t)

[prof_science]

19. OMFG.

This is simply the coolest thing I've ever heard. I must see that video!

VIVA BEV!

[BevHarris]

20. The video's quite short.

But on it:

Teresa LaPore's very VERY unhappy face. Apparently, unbeknownst to us, they were congratulating her upon her upcoming retirement and for surviving all those lawsuits.

Oops. One lawsuit to go.

And the crowd called us "animals."

Gee, I guess I'll quit.

Bev

[Pepper32]

30. LOL, I absolutely love it!

Bev, thanks for all you do! :yourock:

[proudbluestater]

21. Some day a movie will be made!

What a GREAT move, going into the meeting and serving her publicly. Hey, she screwed us over in 2000 and again in 2004. Enough is ENOUGH!!

I can't believe you were booed by everybody! Surely there were some Democrats in attendance?

Congrats on another job well done! Be safe!

[BevHarris]

25. Some officials left the meeting with surreptitious grins on their faces

liked the drama. Actually, we had no idea LaPore was supposed to be honored or something. The program said she was giving a speech on retention of records.

As for the other officials, we're not done yet.

Bev

[KnowerOfLogic]

22. Way to go BBV!! Now why would those people boo democracy..... n/t

[blueblitzkrieg]

23. Keep up the fight, Bev!!!!

:yourock: :yourock:

[Keirsey]

26. Way to go!!

Keep kicking ass, Bev!!

[RedEagle]

27. Think the tail draggers went back to gather up records....

....or to lawyer up?

Does this group of election officials sound like an exclusive little club or what?

Got a program from the party? Maybe it will list the sponsors of events, like Sequoia.

[BevHarris]

28. You're right. They viewed the meeting as a 'private' meeting

even though the whole thing was on the taxpayers dime.

Bev

[RedEagle]

31. They also seem to view elections as their own little private domain

Not all, of course, but enough to make you really wonder.

We pay their salaries.

We pay for the voting systems.

We pay them to run elections for us.

It's OUR system, OUR vote, and OUR rights they choose to ignore.


I think it's time WE booted them out of their elite little members only club and reminded the rest that elections are not to be run at their beck and call.

It's the publics system, they are responsible to the public- not vendors, government officials, or their club memberships.

We paid for the records, we own them.

Keeping them from us is a form of theft.

[Zan_of_Texas]

41. You got that right.

Check out the third largest county in the US, Harris County, home of Houston. Has 3.5 million people -- about the size of Iowa and Vermont combined.

County Clerk is Beverly Kaufman, a Republican.

She and her committee bought Hart InterCivic paperless DREs a few elections ago.

Now, see how Kaufman talks about HER voting system.

from:
Critic: Electronic Voting Vulnerable To Hacking
Computer Hackers Could Change Election's Outcome

original: Channel 2 Houston
http://www.click2houston.com/politics/3310054/detail.html
UPDATED: 10:32 p.m. CDT May 15, 2004

reposted at http://www.verifiedvoting.org/article.asp?id=2106

Beverly Kaufman says there is no way an outsider can tap into the system electronically and says no one inside would do it if they could.

"If something unusual were to happen with my voting system for an election, I think the first place I would ask the district attorney to look are those people that keep predicting dire circumstances," Kaufman said. "We don't have a desire or the ability to go in and change the logic that is built into these systems."




PS Bev, Andy, Kathleen -- you guys are sumpin else!

[Pretty_in_CodePink]

35. Which I believe would be a violation of Florida Sunshine Law

Another one! It happens all the time.

Thanks Bev.

[milkyway]

29. You guys sure do have a lot of fun saving democracy! Thanks.

[goclark]

36. Bev and Co. rocks!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. OMG! You 3 are incredible!

GREAT story! :hi:

[Oilwellian]

33. Love your story!

I'd love to see the spitting and spewing crowd in slow motion. :D

[lonestarnot]

34. WE LOVE AND ADORE YOUR TENACITY

You just go on with your bad self! We're waiting watching an mediaing!

[virgdem]

37. Bev, you and your "cohorts" are nothing short of incredible...

I would have loved to see the look on Witch LePore's face. It would have been priceless. Please keep up the good fight. Finally, it appears that your efforts are starting to pay off. We all owe you a humongous debt of gratitude for having the courage to fight these stinkers head on. And stay safe, will ya.

[BevHarris]

48. You may see that look yet

Video going to TV stations now...

[nostamj]

49. how about a still shot?

might make a good button....

"are you as upset about vote fraud as she is about our investigation?"

[Pachamama]

51. I am so curious to see which of the Media decides to show this?

I bet Olbermann will show it...maybe even Aaron Brown or Bill Moyers?

I can't wait...and if none of them show it, please send it to Michael Moore...

I would love to have you working with Michael Moore....I think you both could make great movies together....he's got the marketing machine and financial backing....it could be a match made in heaven.... O8)

[BevHarris]

55. The 'Michael Moore' of filmmaking for voting is a team:

Russell Michaels, Simon Ardizzone, Robert Carrillo Cohen.

http://www.votergate.tv

They are all over the place. They're getting an interview this morning I'd love to have attended.

Bev

[bluedonkey]

38. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Super Bev!
Defender of democracy and freedom!

[Kenergy]

39. Excellent! Thanks Bev! n/t

[billie_]

40. You are my Heroine :) love you Bev& TY n/t

[area51]

42. kick

Kick for the morning crowd.

[DTinAZ]

43. Sun-Sentinel news coverage of the event

is currently here:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flepore01dec01,0,7711694.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

be sure to read to the bottom, where you'll see this tidbit about LePore's next role:

"for LePore to reach a full 30 years of service with Palm Beach County and get full retirement benefits, she would go to work at the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office for six months as an election fraud investigator"

DT in AZ

[nostamj]

44. "an election fraud investigator"

hmmm... from the "It Takes One To Known One" Department?

or a referral from: Hungry Fox Security Services ("Watching Henhouses Since 1906")

[BevHarris]

54. Hah! Nostamj, you kill me.

I didn't get your messages, phone acting quite weird. (Hi, Agent Mike). Try again, love ya!

Bev

[nostamj]

63. uh, haven't tried to call since our last conversation....

:hi: Agent Mike......

[skids]

57. It takes a theif to catch a theif

(not that I support this decision, just that is a better line to throw out there when speculating about why she gets to be a fraud investigator.)

[Vidar]

45. We love you, Bev.

[shirlden]

46. A feel good story

for all Duers.

Keep kicked for the day crew.

:kick:

[bearfan454]

47. kick n/t

[Pithy Cherub]

50. Bet the 'electioneers' left there little confab to put Bev's picture up:

and say if you see this woman - HIDE! Go BEV and BBV team! :bounce:

[Carl Brennan]

52. Bev, you might find this information on Lepore useful

Wayne Madsen as many of us know is working the Saudi link to vote rigging. I have posted this at a couple of topics.



11/04 thread at DU:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=201&topic_id=5684
Here is another thread on 11/04/ I started and it cites Lepore involved in 2004 ballots.


Did Adnan Khashoggi Throw the Election to Dubya?
Timothy Noah
Posted Monday, December 4, 2000, at 2:56 PM PT
On Dec. 1, the "Washington Wire" column in the Wall Street Journal published this gratifyingly noir item about the postelection drama in Florida:
"Madame Butterfly" Theresa LePore wasn't always an embattled Palm Beach ballots chief. In the 1980s, she moonlighted as a flight attendant on private planes owned by Saudi weapons dealer Adnan Khashoggi, a middleman in Reagan administration arms sales to Iran.
Connoisseurs of Khashoggi-centric conspiracy theories should have little difficulty using this information to finger Khashoggi as the mastermind of the plot to deny Al Gore the presidency. Khashoggi has close ties, from Iran-Contra and elsewhere, to the Republicans, and vaguely defined ties to Dubya's father. (In a 1990 court case, Khashoggi's phone records revealed that Khashoggi had spoken at least twice with George Bush's vice-presidential office during 1985 and 1986.) LePore worked for Khashoggi during the 1980s, when, according to her official biography, she was chief deputy supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County, a job she held until 1996, when she was elected supervisor of elections. Ergo, LePore has been working as a Khashoggi asset to elect the son of Khashoggi's old comrade-in-arms, George Bush!
Continued...
<http://www.slate.msn.com/?id=1006609>
BTW: This was in December 2000. More recently, Khashoggi was doing lunch with Richard Perle of PNAC fame. Perle asked Khashoggi to "invest" $100 million in his company, Trireme. Seymour Hersh wrote about it in The New Yorker.
More on Lepore link to Khashoggi:
http://www.questionsquestions.net/docs04/khashoggi-911_2.html


Saudi Entrepeneur Adnan Khashoggi Linked to 911 Terrorists
by Alex Constantine
PART 8: A "DIRTY SON-OF-A-BITCH" & THE BLIND SHEIK
Emad Salem, the FBI informant - also the governmentís key witness in the trial of Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and ten followers accused of plotting to blow up the UN, an FBI office and two tunnels - was a hopeless confabulator by his own admission. And a loaded one: Salem was paid a million dollars for his testimony.
The Egyptian bodyguard for Shiekh Rahman admitted under questioning that he had lied for years about his past. He boasted to his FBI handlers that heíd been ìan intelligence officer in the Egyption army,î when in fact, Salem said, heíd been a lowly ìtechnical officer.î He freely offered that on one occasion, as the New York Times reported in March 1995, ìhe even lied under oath in a criminal trial in Manhattan, saying he had been wounded trying to protect President Anwar Sadat of Egypt when he was assassinated in 1981.î1
Defense attorney William Kunstler investigated and discovered that Salem was a lieutenant colonel in the Egyptian army, an unreliable witness, one ìwho never stopped working for the Egyptian government.î Kunstler grumbled that Salem - a bigamist with one wife in New York and another in Egypt - was devoid of character: ìHe divulged that he had had amnesia since January of 1992, and that he had been going to a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Stein to help him with this situation...î
It devolved under questioning that Mr. Salem had received a quarter million to one million dollars for his services as an FBI informant cum agent provocateur. In one meeting with FBI, Agent John Anticev - secretly taped by Salem - there was an argument over escalating expenses:

[Rockerdem]

53. Bev

Cheeky. Loving it.

[lovuian]

56. Whoo Hoo Bev!!!

Love it!!!

[Cleita]

58. Thanks for the update Bev.

You guys are all my heroes.

[breadandwine]

59. We must march against Fox and the rigged election.

Good news from Bev Harris. But what should be OUR role? What should WE do? Just talk about it? Not talk. Action. STREET action. Action in the STREETS. Huge public protest. A joint protest against the rigged election and Fox right in front of Fox World Headquarters in New York with the chant, “Rupert Murdoch, tell the truth! Fascists rigged the voting booth!” Fox is headquartered in mid-Manhattan on the SECOND floor. We’re going to be right outside their windows by the thousands screaming our guts out where they can hear us. Bad vibrations? Too bad studio soundproofing isn’t perfect. We must deny them legitimacy at all costs. Bush didn’t win. His election is a fake. Vast numbers of Americans still don’t know this because Bush shills like Fox cover it up. Fox must be targeted. Their headquarters are in New York. The other papers and media in New York will cover this protest because they all hate Fox’s living guts in New York. See this blog:

A Call To March On Fox
For refusing to tell the truth about the rigged election! —

http://acalltomarchonfox.blogspot.com/

Read it. Read it all. Contact the blogger there to get involved.

Go to this thread and participate in the discussion — A call to march against the rigged election — includes extensive discussion about the planned march on Fox/rigged election:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2688242

Add your comments there, keep that thread kicked. There’s going to be a huge march in New York combining protest against the rigged election and the Bush shills like Fox who cover it up, a double whammy. After that, the cat will be out of the bag and Bush will have lost legitimacy.

Why is that important? Because legitimacy is essential for de facto power. Official or “de jure” power is not enough for a leader to maintain control. He has to also have the INTANGIBLES of legitimacy — de facto authority. That’s why presidents can become lame ducks in their second term. Bush must be denied LEGITIMACY. His whole presidency must be publicly DELEGITIMIZED. People in other countries will hear about the march too. This will add to his difficulties diplomatically overseas. To deny legitimacy we must march against the rigged election.

Where? At the number one shill covering it up — Fox. Fox Headquarters in New York. Fox may or may not admit we are in front of their New York offices but the other New York news organizations will because they hate Fox. See the above blog for full details on that and the whole march plan. See and post on the above thread to get involved. Keep that thread kicked.

[HFishbine]

60. Damn!

That's some guts! Thank you. I couldn't do it, but I'm glad you are.

[BevHarris]

62. It made the evening TV news (NBC) in Orlando and Palm Beach

They spun it to the favor of election supervisors as best they could, in Orlando -- haven't gotten word on what Palm Beach TV did with it, though they tend to be pretty favorable to the vote reform concept, as far as I can tell.

Didn't matter how they spun it -- the main part of the report talked about "Black Box" (they left off the word voting) suing election supervisors who fail to come up with records requests, and the need to audit.

At the end, the supervisors sniffed: "This 'stunt' made whatever credibility Black Box Voting has disappear."

We'll see about that. Here's a juicy question:

Suppose we find fraud in Theresa LePore's election, and by then she has taken her new position as "election fraud investigator" for Palm Beach County. Shall we present the evidence to her? On camera?

That's an interesting concept, isn't it.

By the way, the ads for the news for 30 minutes beforehand advised people to tune in for the "political stunt" and they showed video footage of the action on the trailer.

LePore looked mighty grumpy in the shot, and they provided a short interview with me, with Kathleen standing by.

The cab driver who took us to the TV studio was so enthused about what we are doing that he offered to stay and wait two hours just to have the opportunity to drive us back to our hotel. He was from a foreign county and said that our elections suck. He was very informed about our election problems and didn't believe a word of the results.

Reminds me of the waiter I met in the Seattle airport who, when I asked on Nov 9, "What did you think of the election?" replied: "Didn't like it. Votes were already on the machines. Republicans are cheaters." (He was from South America).

Love ya,

Bev and Kathleen
P.S. Andy has suffered a sudden bereavement in his family, and is with his family right now. If you are friends and have his private e-mail, send him a message of love.