[Mb-civic] 2 elections officials indicted in Ohio recount

[Mike Blaxill]

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1125480834285430.xml&coll=2

2 elections officials indicted in recount

Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Mark Naymik
Plain Dealer Politics Writer

Two Cuyahoga County elections officials were
indicted Tuesday on charges of not handling
ballots correctly during the recount of the 2004
presidential election.

Kathleen Dreamer, manager of the board's ballot
department, and the assistant manager, Rosie
Grier, were each charged with six counts of
failing to follow Ohio laws that spell out how
ballots are selected and reviewed during a
recount.

The most serious charges carry a maximum of 18
months in prison.

Erie County Prosecutor Kevin J. Baxter conducted
the investigation at the behest of Cuyahoga
County Prosecutor Bill Mason, who recused himself
from the case because his office represents the
elections board.

The charges stem from a complaint first raised
last December by Toledo lawyer Richard Kerger,
who watched over the recount on behalf of two
third-party candidates.

Kerger charged that elections officials failed to
randomly select precincts that were supposed to
be counted by hand and compared against ballots
tabulated by a machine; conduct test-runs before
witnesses; and investigate discrepancies between
vote totals.

Baxter would not offer details of his
investigation but said he examined allegations
that officials took "measures in order to all but
assure that there would not be a countywide hand
count."

Cuyahoga County's four elections board members
issued a statement defending their employees and
the voting process.

"These allegations are based on interpretation of
procedures, not on any suggestion of fraud," they
said.

Dreamer and Grier could not be reached for
comment.

Roger Synenberg, who represents Dreamer, said the
charges are unfounded. He accused Baxter of
failing to fully examine the board's procedures
and interview all potential witnesses.

"It's impossible to investigate this in a
three-day grand jury investigation," said
Synenberg, a former longtime elections board
member. "He took the word of a few people at the
board who don't understand the process."

Synenberg asked Baxter last week to turn over all
evidence to U.S. Attorney Greg White.

"Calling into question the integrity of a
national election requires that a thorough
investigation be completed by the federal
authorities," Synenberg said in a letter to
Baxter.

Baxter said Tuesday that he "thoroughly and
exhaustively investigated this" during almost
three days of testimony. He said he even allowed
a witness suggested by Synenberg to testify
Tuesday morning.

Baxter said the indictments will probably end his
investigation.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mnaymik at plaind.com, 216-999-4849