By Bob
Plain in RIFuture.org
It turns out Anthony Gemma isn’t the only one using allegations
of voter fraud to prop up his political agenda. The local Tea Party is doing so
too, using both his tactics and his allegations, under the auspices of True the
Vote.
“True the Vote’s plan is to scrutinize the validity of voter
registration rolls and voters who appear at the polls,” according
to an article in today’s New York Times. “Among those in their
cross hairs: noncitizens who are registered to vote, those without proper
identification, others who may be registered twice, and dead people.”
This all sounds well and good but read further into the story
and you’ll find True the Vote is doing much more than just looking for voter
fraud. Here’s what the Times
reports about True the Votes efforts in the Wisconsin recall vote:
True the Vote began working in Wisconsin in 2011, the same year
it received a $35,000 grant from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which
is based in Wisconsin and is a major backer of conservative causes, including
Americans for Prosperity. The foundation’s president and chief executive,
Michael Grebe, was Mr. Walker’s campaign chairman for his 2010 campaign and for
the recall election, which he won.
The accountability board concluded that about 900,000 signatures
were valid and, in a memorandum reviewing True the Vote’s work, criticized its
methods. For example: Mary Lee Smith signed her name Mary L. Smith and was
deemed ineligible by the group.
Signatures deemed “out of state” included 13 from Milwaukee and
three from Madison. The group’s software would not recognize abbreviations, so
Wisconsin addresses like Stevens Point were flagged if “Pt.” was used on the
petition. Signatures were struck for lack of a ZIP code.
It’s pretty clear True the Vote has political motivations
outside of cleaning up voter rolls. According to the Times, “it grew out of a
Tea Party group, King Street Patriots, that [was] founded in Texas. An
examination shows that it has worked closely with a variety of well-financed
organizations, many unabashed in their desire to defeat President Obama.”
So why should Rhode Islanders care?
Because the local incarnation of the Tea Party is using True the
Vote methodology to scrutinize elections here too.
Marina Peterson of East Bay Patriots, is heading up a project to
clean up voter rolls. The work must be done within the next couple of weeks.
The work can be done on your own time, in your own home with the use of a
computer. Help identify potential voter problems – people registered at
commercial properties or vacant lots, numerous people registered at one
address, etc.
If you want to be part of a movement that
helps protect the vote of the individual and stops the fraudulent casting of
votes, then please sign up at www.truethevote.org/volunteer/.
The cost to register is $25. Ocean State Tea Party in Action will
reimburse you for this cost.
In fact, True the Vote is even trafficking in Gemma’s
unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud lobbed at David Cicilline. In
this post it links to a story from the American
Spectator, but it’s really just
a reprint from the local Tea Party group’s media ally the Ocean State Current, an
arm of the conservative Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity.
Bob Plain is the editor/publisher of Rhode Island's
Future. Previously, he's worked as a reporter for several different news
organizations both in Rhode Island and across the country.