Constitutional Law

House Judiciary Chair Slams DOJ For 'Vote Fraud' Investigation

An attorney fingered in a recent report from the Department of Justice’s Offices of Inspector General (OIG) and Professional Responsibility (OPR) as playing a major role in the firing of New Mexico’s U.S. Attorney is now solidly behind the federal government’s investigation into so-called “voter fraud” by a non-profit community organizing group.

Zachary Roth reporting for TPM Muckraker cites a new statement from House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) noting that Pat Rogers, a New Mexico lawyer, “is apparently playing a key role in pressing” the current claims against ACORN, the group that helps low-income people register to vote. Earlier this year an extensive OIG/OPR report tagged Rogers as the attorney who repeatedly put pressure on former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to launch prosecutions of vote fraud. Iglesias could not find evidence of vote fraud in New Mexico and was subsequently fired by the DOJ. Late last week, TPM reported that word of the investigation into ACORN for allegedly illegally registering people to vote was leaked.

On Oct. 16, Conyers condemned the investigation and leak of it saying, “Such leaks of information about ongoing criminal investigation matters are always inappropriate, and likely violate the provisions of the U.S. Attorney manual governing release of information about ongoing investigations (and which, in any event, would require approval from the responsible U.S. Attorney or Department division before release)."

Conyers also noted his concern that the new investigation into ACORN signals an ongoing politicization of DOJ. “As you are aware,” Conyers wrote, “there is extensive evidence that political operatives improperly pressured United States Attorneys to investigate and prosecute spurious claims to vote fraud in close proximity to an election. When some did not, they were terminated. Thus, one must view the timing of this extraordinary leak with added suspicion, given that it comes less than 24 hours after the Republican Presidential candidate raised these allegations in a nationally televised debate.”

More coverage of the OIG/OPR reports is available here. Also, a recent ACS panel discussion on voting obstacles can be viewed here.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on October 21, 2008 (boomark / email).