Today’s Daily Press reports (“Shutdown of Williams campaign requested”, May 15, 2007) that the 1st Senatorial Legislative District Committee de-certified Sen. Marty Williams as a candidate yesterday. They made one small error. The paper says I voted to de-certify Marty Williams. In fact, I didn’t have a vote – I was the secretary.
Full Disclosure: I was sitting in the room as an interested Party official whose District election is in question. I am Vice-Chair of the Poquoson City Committee, 1st Vice-Chair of the 1st Cong. Dist Committee and State Central Representative from the 1st District. In addition I am supporting the candidacy of Tricia Stall to be my State Senator and I am in favor of Motherhood, apple pie and the Americn Flag.
There are three processes at play here. First, the Commonwealth’s Attorneys of Newport News and York/Poquoson are investigating allegations of voter fraud. Likewise, the FBI has been contacted since the Commonwealth is still under the Voting Rights adult supervision of the Feds (thanks, George Allen).
The other two processes are Party rules and State law. Much needs to be cleaned up with new, tighter legislation to keep our elections clean, fair, and open.
Since the 1st SD Legislative Committee de-certified Marty Williams, when that notification gets the State Board of Elections (SBE) – they can take him off the ballot, ask the AG for an opinion, or do nothing – using administrative discretion.
Meanwhile, Sen. Williams can appeal the Legislative Committee decision, but he appeals to the 1st Cong. District Committee, RPV.
At the same time, the State Central Commitee, RPV could chose, or not, to instruct the Chairman to request to the SBE to remove Williams and/or the RPV can ‘disavow’ him as a candidate, or not.
The fundamental problem which needs to be addressed by legislation is the certification of the voters – to follow the letter and spirit of the Virginia Code. It probably should be done by Voter Registrars, not by the legislative committee chairperson. I’ve been a legislative district chairman.
Here are the minutes of the meeting – which was open to the public.
CALLED MEETING OF THE FIRST SENATORIAL DISTRICT REPUBLICAN DISTRICT COMMITTEE OF VIRGINIA
May 14, 2007
Poquoson Public Library
Poquoson, VA 23662
Present: Bill Kennedy (Acting Chair) Hampton City; John Anderson Poquoson City, Joe Broyles York County, James Bowden 1st Cong. Dist Vice-Chairman and State Central Representative, Mike Wade 3rd Cong. Dist Chairman and Hampton City Chairman. Visitors from the public were present.
GENERAL OPENING: Acting Chairman Kennedy called the meeting to order. He read the Call. John Anderson lead the invocation. Joe Broyles lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Mike Wade read the Republican Creed of Virginia. Bill Kennedy appointed James Bowden as the secretary. Bill. Kennedy appointed Mike Wade as the parliamentarian.
Mr. Kennedy asked for the roll call. The Newport News representative and Chairman Dr. Henry Rothfuss was absent. John Anderson produced a Unites States Postal Service envelope indicated the mailed call to Dr. Henry Rothfuss was refused as unsolicited mail and returned to John Anderson. Bill Kennedy said that Henry Rothfuss had not answered his phone calls or emails.
DISCUSSION OF ERRORS ON CANDIDATE FORMS FOR MARTY WILLIAMS: John Anderson related step by step how first known discrepancies were reported to members of the 1st Senate District Legislative Committee and members, including John Anderson immediately tried to get a meeting with the Dr. Rothfuss. Dr. Rothfuss sent the petitions in question to the State Board of Elections (SBE). When the SBE returned the petitions to Dr. Rothfuss, John Anderson requested again to Dr. Rothfuss for a meeting. There was no answer from Dr. Rothfuss.
John Anderson got 16 petitions for Marty Williams from the Poquoson Registrar.
John Anderson showed the committee how the petitions’ purpose section was not filled out. It was completely blank. The city, county, event or type of election, and date of election were all left blank. Persons signing the petition knew they were signing for Marty Williams but there was no indications for what election or when.
It was reported that in the 8th Senate District this sort of errors had petitions thrown out by the Legislative District Chairman by both candidates when only part of the purpose block wasn’t filled out.
DISCUSSION OF ILLEGAL GATHERING AND CERTIFICATION OF CANDIDATE CERTIFICATION FORMS FOR MARTY WILLIAMS: John Andrson said persons who signed some petitions, certifying that they had collected the signatures personally, in fact did not collect some signatures. This a felony violation of the Virginia Code – voter fraud.
Specifically, on petition 10B (numbered by the registrar) Marilyn Schempf’s signature is present. Her husband, Bryan Schempf was present outside the Poquoson Post Office when she signed and said a young woman in her late 20s or early 30s accompanied by a young man got Mrs. Schempf’s signature. The person signing the form, Ruth A. Gerenger is an elderly woman in her 80s who usually is confined to a wheelchair.
John Anderson said one person who had the petitions signed wasn’t a resident of the 1st Senate District.
Several petitions signed by Mrs. Gerrenger have signatures from different localities on the same day. In other words, instead of one form being filled out from one location and then another, several petitions may have several signatures from one location and then another on the same day. This is highly irregular for one person to have voters sign multiple, different petitions in the same location on the same day.
Bill Kennedy said Dr. Rothfuss wouldn’t return his call.s He produced a copy of an email where Sen. Marty Williams said he wouldn’t tell Dr. Rothfuss to have a meeting of the 1st Senate Legislative Committee. Based on Bill Kennedy’s experience as a secretary to an electoral board, he said Dr. Rothfuss was derelict in his duties. Furthermore, Anna C. Moore showed the same irregularities of several petitions being out and signed in the same and different locations on the same day. It suggests that persons other than Anna C. Moore circulated some of the petitions.
John Anderson said he tried to reach Dr. Rothfuss electronically and by mail. Sen. Marty Williams responded to John Anderson’s email. He didn’t desire to meet with the 1st Senate District Committee. In another email, Sen. Marty Williams said, “I’m not going to instruct a grown man to do anything”, in reference to having a meeting on the certification.
Mike Wade said he contacted Dr. Rothfuss in his capacity as the 3rd District Chairman, but got no response. He noted that Jane Pendergrast, who works at the retirement home where Mrs. Ruth A. Gerenger resides, said she signed a petition for Marty Williams being circulated by Sarah Gerenger, the granddaughter of Mrs. Ruth Gerenger. Sarah Gerenger is Sen. Marty Williams’ legislative assistant and does not live in the 1st District, which is a felony violation of the Virginia Code – Voter Fraud.
NEW BUSINESS: The following motions were moved, seconded and passed by unanimous vote: 3-0.
Motion 1:
That petitions 1-16 be declared invalid/decertified because the entire purpose section containing locality, election type, and date of the event, was left totally blank on each petition.
Motion 2:
To declare as invalid/decertify those petitions signed by Ruth A. Gerringer and A. Harper Gerringer where it is proven that signatures were fraudulently gathered and signed by either individual.
Motion 3:
Move to decertify and remove State Senator Marty Williams from the June 12, 2007 ballot because disqualifying the petitions invalid or collected fraudulently, leaves him with less that the 250 signatures required for certification as a candidate..
Motion 4:
That the findings associated with Motions 1-3 should be immediately sent to the Virginia State Board of Elections, Attorney General, Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia, 1st District Chairman, Commonwealths’ Attorney (Newport News and Poquoson),and 1st Senatorial District Chairman.
ADJOURNMENT: The motion to adjourn was moved, seconded and voice voted into adjournment.
Respectfully Submitted,
James Atticus Bowden
Secretary
The history in this bit is the Party taking responsibility to hold incumbents to the Rule of Law in their own elections. See when this has happened before – since 1619.