Former Assembly Candidate Tackling Voter Fraud
Gardner Plans To 'Clean Up' Flawed Election System
POSTED: 7:30 p.m. PDT June 12, 2003
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Former assembly candidate Dean Gardner said he plans to target voter fraud statewide. He said his probe is not about assembly woman Nicole Parra, but about the California voting system that is "destroying the freedoms of every Californian."
Gardner, (pictured, left), stood outside the Kern County Building Wednesday morning stirring up accusations of voter fraud. Seven months ago he made similar claims about voting fraud but this time he said he has evidence to back him up.
"I was shocked at what I found," Gardner told reporters.
Gardner's investigation examined more than 2,400 of about 14,000 recently registered Democratic voters in the California's District 30. He claimed that 69 people admitted voting twice, 93 voted but were not U.S. citizens and 272 did not live in the district.
When it was over, Gardner said more than 900 of the voters, or 37 percent polled, had committed voter fraud.
"There is a well-oiled, well-funded fraud machine run by liberal special interest groups that may be electing people to legislature that should not be there," Gardner said.
Duane Moore is chairman of the Kern County Democratic Central Committee.
He said anyone found guilty of voter fraud should be punished no matter what party they belong to.
"I don't believe there is widespread, intentional voter fraud. If there was the district attorney's office would make an announcement not Dean Gardner," Moore said.
Gardner said he has turned his findings over to the Kern County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. attorney general.
He stressed that this is not about Parra's win in November but a flawed election system in California. He said he plans to fix the system.
"I will sponsor a statewide initiative to clean up the voter fraud problem in California. It will require proof of eligibility and proof of ID to register and to vote, and proof of ID when a person does vote," Gardner said.
Gardner said he would not turn over his findings to the media, pending the outcome of any investigation.
Parra's office said she supports any measure to fight voter fraud but would rather focus on voter education.
Gardner, (pictured, left), stood outside the Kern County Building Wednesday morning stirring up accusations of voter fraud. Seven months ago he made similar claims about voting fraud but this time he said he has evidence to back him up.
"I was shocked at what I found," Gardner told reporters.
Gardner's investigation examined more than 2,400 of about 14,000 recently registered Democratic voters in the California's District 30. He claimed that 69 people admitted voting twice, 93 voted but were not U.S. citizens and 272 did not live in the district.
When it was over, Gardner said more than 900 of the voters, or 37 percent polled, had committed voter fraud.
"There is a well-oiled, well-funded fraud machine run by liberal special interest groups that may be electing people to legislature that should not be there," Gardner said.
Duane Moore is chairman of the Kern County Democratic Central Committee.
He said anyone found guilty of voter fraud should be punished no matter what party they belong to.
"I don't believe there is widespread, intentional voter fraud. If there was the district attorney's office would make an announcement not Dean Gardner," Moore said.
Gardner said he has turned his findings over to the Kern County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. attorney general.
He stressed that this is not about Parra's win in November but a flawed election system in California. He said he plans to fix the system.
"I will sponsor a statewide initiative to clean up the voter fraud problem in California. It will require proof of eligibility and proof of ID to register and to vote, and proof of ID when a person does vote," Gardner said.
Gardner said he would not turn over his findings to the media, pending the outcome of any investigation.
Parra's office said she supports any measure to fight voter fraud but would rather focus on voter education.Copyright 2003 by TheBakersfieldChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
