Political conspiracy? It's beginning to look like it . . .

June 6, 2002

ATLANTA: The Southeastern Legal Foundation today challenged members of the Georgia State Board of Elections to denounce a reported attempt to reduce six counts of voter fraud and intimidation against U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) and her father, State Rep. Billy McKinney at today's Board of Elections meeting at 3 p.m., Room 125 of the State Capitol. A comprehensive story on this matter appeared in today's edition of The Fulton County Daily Report.

The Board of Elections found ample evidence -- and voted unanimously twice -- to send six counts of voter fraud and intimidation to a state administrative law judge for consideration. The serious allegations, arising from events at a DeKalb County polling place involving the McKinneys, included alleged intimidation of poll watchers and electioneering in a polling place on Election Day 2000.

"For more than a year, Southeastern Legal Foundation has sought answers through the Georgia Open Records laws as to why the McKinney matter did not move forward in a reasonable way," said Phil Kent, SLF President. "Now, with the reported deal brokered between the Georgia Attorney General's office, the state Board of Elections, and the McKinneys, the proper legal procedures appear to be trashed. We demand a full accounting of this matter."

"It is hard to imagine that a political conspiracy to protect Cynthia McKinney would involve so many of the state's highest elected officials, but without decisive action by the state Board of Elections today to rectify this matter, that's exactly what appears to be happening," said Kent. "Is it conceivable that the state would throw off its normal procedures, bypass the administrative law judge, and move for some type of slap on the wrist? These are serious charges of election law violations. Apparently, when it comes to the McKinneys, many of our state's top officials seem to feel that politics trumps the law."

Kent said that SLF attorneys are reviewing possible legal responses to this matter. "Our attorneys believe that other laws may have been violated, in addition to state election law violations by the McKinneys," said Kent.

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m., June 6, 2002

The State Board of Elections votes 3-1 to accept the Consent Order and abandon its earlier unanimous vote to refer six counts of voter fraud and elections law violations to a state administrative law judge. SLF President Phil Kent describes the vote switch -- based on no new evidence since the two unanimous votes taken late last year -- as "a political fix between the Democrat Secretary of State Cathy Cox and Democrat Attorney General Thurbert Baker to protect the McKinney political machine in DeKalb County." SLF attorneys are preparing a new legal approach to the McKinney evidence, which will be announced next week.

For More Information Contact:
Media Relations
media@southeasternlegal.org
(404) 365-8500