From LBN: Diebold Lobbyist Donates $10,000 to Blackwell Campaign

[mod mom]

thanks to Liberalheart. Let's get this out thru our networks!

Diebold Lobbyist Donates $10,000 to Blackwell Campaign
June 9, 2006 08:56 PM

COLUMBUS (AP) -- Forty-nine of the 85 people who this year have given Ohio secretary of state Kenneth Blackwell the maximum $10,000 allowed an individual donor have done so since May 2. Members of Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner's family led the way by combining for $90,000. The maximum-donor list also includes Mitch Given, who is a registered lobbyist for Diebold Election Systems, one of the vendors of voting machines for election boards in Ohio.

Blackwell's office approved Diebold's selection as a vendor and negotiated the price for the machines, although the counties chose the machines.

Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo said the May 15 contribution came well after Diebold signed a contract with the state to provide the machines in February 2004 after bids were submitted by the vendors. LoParo also pointed out that Given lobbies for other companies and is a frequent contributor to GOP campaigns. Given also donated $10,000 to Betty Montgomery's campaign a week after she dropped out of the governor's race to run for attorney general.

"It's important to note that he did not contribute to Secretary Blackwell during the bidding process," LoParo said.



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http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=5012724

discussion on LBN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2330820

[yourout]

1. "...did not contribute to Secretary Blackwell during the bidding process,"

So 5 minutes after the bidding is done it is ok to pay the bribes?

[mod mom]

2. exactly, so all they have to say is after you sign our contracts we will

give you $ X. Unbelievable how blatant they are.

[yourout]

6. Election equipment companys giving money to candidates is.....

UNETHICAL!!! No matter where or when.

[mod mom]

3. Look what we have here: Mitch Given used to work for former Blackwell

rival Jim Petro (current OH AG who threatened sanctions on the attorneys who contested the '04 election):

The three finalists for Ohio’s 2003 voting-machine recommenda-
tions happened to be the companies that hired the most lobbyists.
Diebold lobbyists Mitchell Given and Jonathan Hughes formerly worked
for Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, and six ES&S lobbyists showered
Ohio county elections officials with gifts.

http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-6.pdf

hmmh...what does this mean? Is given possibly setting Blackwell up? or has he switched sides (from Petro to Blackwell)?

[Kurovski]

4. How very cozy.

Perhaps they should go curl up by the fire.

[Tigress DEM]

5. Ha! Paid up front or only after the fact is still paid off.

"It's important to note that he did not contribute to Secretary Blackwell during the bidding process," LoParo said.


Dorks.