Fraud is legal, as long as it's for an election

posted by The Vidiot @ 11:01 AM Permalink

Affirmative action proposal stays on ballot

A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit seeking to have a referendum on affirmative action removed from the November ballot, despite finding that backers of the ballot proposal used widespread and systematic fraud in collecting petition signatures.
U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow ruled the fraud did not violate the racial discrimination sections of the U.S. Voting Rights Act because it was directed at both blacks and whites.
[...]
By Any Means Necessary, a group that supports affirmative action, brought the federal lawsuit. The group alleged petition circulators lied to black voters by telling them the ballot initiative would protect affirmative action and help minority students get into universities of their choice. The group also called white witnesses who testified they too were lied to about the purpose of the referendum.

"The court finds that MCRI and its circulators engaged in a pattern of voter fraud by deceiving voters into believing that the petition supported affirmative action," Tarnow said in his ruling.
[...]
Jennifer Gratz, the executive director of MCRI, said she is pleased the vote will go forward but appalled by the text of Tarnow's ruling. Tarnow termed Gratz's testimony in the case evasive and misleading.

"Judge Tarnow has clearly shown that he is nothing more than a partisan hack with a robe on," Gratz said.

She described his ruling as "outrageous" and said: "I would hope that members of Congress would look into his conduct."

It seems bizarre that a judge can find that fraud took place, that folks black and white were deceived into signing the referendum, yet it still goes on the ballot!

And what WATBs these rethuglicans are! They win the ruling and still threaten the judge. I hope the appellate court reads her statements [snicker].