| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"George Washington Hayduke" |
| Date: |
13 Oct 2004 11:45:01 PM |
| Object: |
Christian Nathan Sproul hates Democracy, America |
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029
NEW! The smoking gun on voter registration fraud: Nathan Sproul
by Bob Johnson
Wed Oct 13th, 2004
Searching for information on the voter registration fraud stories
breaking tonight in Nevada and Oregon, I kept coming across the same
name:
Nathan Sproul of Sproul & Associates in Phoenix, Arizona.
Nathan Sproul is the former head of the Arizona Republican Party and
of the Arizona Christian Coalition (ah, the irony... a Christian).
Sproul is connected with the Republican National Committee-funded
voter registration organization, Voter Outreach, Inc., a group that
used paid registrars to register voters in a number of states
including Nevada, Oregon, Arizona and perhaps more, including
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine and Missouri.
(Others states pending, particularly swing states.)
Sproul's organization also recruited registrars by fraudulently
telling recruits that they would be working for America Votes, a
legitimate nonpartisan GOTV operation!
But Nathan Sproul may have made one fatal mistake in his efforts... He
got greedy.
Yes, he failed to pay many workers and he didn't pay his rent.
He pissed some people off.
And he raised suspicions.
There is a good chance that this may be fraud on a MASSIVE scale...
(more)
Diaries :: Bob Johnson's diary ::
Sproul was also instrumental in getting petitions signed for Ralph
Nader to get on the ballot in - surprise! - swing states!
Here is the first page of a Google search on Nathan Sproul.
Some real gems turn up:
How about this newsgroup posting to a forum for librarians warning
them of a possible fraud perpetrated by Sproul.
It includes a description of the scam in Pennsylvania, an article from
a West Virginia newspaper reporting the same scam, and a comment from
a librarian in Medford, Oregon outlining the same scam in her
library... all fraudulently misrepresenting the organization doing the
hiring as America Votes:
From: "McCullough, Holly"
Date: Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:49:58 AM US/Eastern
Subject: Re: SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration
We had the same thing happen here in PA.
Sproul and Associates hires Kelly temp services to do voter
registration.
At one library site where they were suppose to be only doing voter
registration they were also asking people how they were going to vote.
I did some research and found out that they were doing the same thing
in WV (see the article below) and one temp worker claims that they
were trained to ask people how they were going to vote.
If the person said "Bush" they were given a voter registration form.
If they said "Kerry" they were just told thank you and no form was
given.
When we found out we asked them to leave immediately.
One explanation from Sproul and Associates was that they were doing
"market surveys" at some sites.
Later they claimed that it was just a problem with a few temp workers.
Sproul and Associates is headed by Nathan Sproul the former head of
the GOP and Christian Coalition in Arizona.
They also always said they represented America Votes.
When I finally asked them to give me the contact information for
America Votes they told me that "America Votes is a non-partisan voter
registration drive project of Sproul & Associates. Everything
originates from this office. There is a partisan organization with
that same name."
Clearly they know that when they say they represent America Votes they
are misleading people.
Holly
Here is the article from the WV paper for more info.
VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE 'MISLEADING'
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 08/20/2004
Page: 1A
Headline: VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE 'MISLEADING'
Byline: TOM SEARLS
tomsearls@wvgazette.com
For a mother of two teens trying to finish up college, $9 an hour as a
temporary customer service representative sounded good.
"I wanted to find something that would work around my schedule and be
flexible," said St. Albans resident Lisa Bragg.
After spending more than an hour with Charleston personnel agency
Kelly Services last week, Bragg was hired.
"They wouldn't tell us at first what this job was," the 37-year-old
Bragg said Thursday.
Then she found out it was registering Republican voters at One Stop
convenience stores throughout the Charleston region.
But she won't be there today, the first day she was scheduled to be on
the job.
"I'm giving up a job that I need," she said.
"It's the only decent job I've found."
While the job was to last six weeks, the $9 an hour was far above the
minimum wage of $5.15 Bragg was offered for most other temporary
employment.
Bragg feels her employers were misleading the public, even if it's not
illegal.
Employees were to approach One Stop customers and ask if they favor
George Bush or John Kerry for president.
If Bush was their answer, they were then to inquire if the person was
registered to vote and offer them a voter registration card.
If the person supported Democrat Kerry, they were only to say thank
you and give them a registration card only if asked.
If asked questions, employees were instructed, "Only state you are
there to conduct a simple field poll to see what neighborhood support
is ... a nonpartisan registration drive."
They were told to quietly listen to any person who becomes angry and
to remember, "The goal is to register Republicans and to remain
positive."
"Is this the way it has to be? People have to be sneaky to make $9 an
hour?" Bragg said.
Employees were also given the number of a Kelly Services employee to
contact if there are problems.
Contacted Wednesday, two different employees said they would have
someone from Sproul & Associates, the firm paying for the survey,
answer any questions.
Later, a Kelly Services employee who would identify himself only as
"Rob" initially said a message had been left with Ben Decker at
Sproul's office.
He said he had no contact number for Decker, then agreed to release a
Michigan number.
A message left with Decker was not returned.
"[Kelly Services] said the less you know about the company, the better
off you are, especially if the media would come asking questions,"
said Bragg, an admitted Democrat.
"That made me more curious than ever as to who's behind this and
what's going on."
Sproul & Associates appears to be operated by Nathan Sproul, former
head of the Arizona Republican Party and a wealthy GOP activist who
has been involved in petition drives.
An Internet search shows Sproul has received some financing from
national Republican groups, though it was not clear who is paying for
the West Virginia work.
Bragg, and another person working for the group, said they were told
the owners of the One Stop stores had agreed to allow them to conduct
the work on the stores' lots.
Patrick C. Graney III and Michael R. Graney are listed as the
principal owners of 42 One Stop stores, according to the state Alcohol
Beverage Control Administration.
Messages left at One Stop's headquarters in Belle were not returned.
For Bragg it's an economic loss, but one she carries with pride.
She asked about registering voters with another organization - a group
that treats those of all political persuasions the same - and found it
pays only $5.50 an hour.
"I just don't want to be in my hometown and mislead people," she said.
To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5192.
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Meghan O'Flaherty" <OFlaheMC@jacksoncounty.org>
Date: September 16, 2004 3:29:16 PM PDT
To: <libs-or@webhost.osl.state.or.us>
Cc: Subject: [LIBS-OR] SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration
Recently the Jackson County Library has been contacted by persons
purporting to represent America Votes.
Our director was contacted by a Harry Miller and asked to call an 800
number to give permission for America Votes to conduct a non-partisan
voter registration project in our libraries.
I received a letter from Sproul and Associates,a consulting firm in
Arizona,also saying they represented America Votes, with the same
request.
I contacted the Kevin Looper, the Oregon State Coordinator for America
Votes, to verify the information and received this reply from him:
"Here is what I know: We do not have a Harry Miller in our employ.
This organization is absolutely not representing America Votes, and my
National leadership is initiating action to get them to cease and
desist representations that infringe upon our rights and mislead
voters.
Further, Sproul and Associates is a partisan political consulting firm
Based in Arizona that works for very conservative causes and has
worked to oppose campaign finance reform. Their use of our name to
cover their political leanings makes me question the overall
intregrity of the voter registation that they seek to conduct. I
will be forwarding this information to the Secretary of State's office
for further investigation."
Meghan O'Flaherty
Headquarters Library Manager
Jackson County Library Services
205 South Central Ave.
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 774-6403
oflahemc@jacksoncounty.org
So here we have Sproul involved in three (swing) states, using a bogus
GOTV name to disguise his organization's own name, and using
fictitious names (Harry Miller) as "contacts" for those with
questions.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg with Mr. Sproul and the RNC.
Keep in mind that in the recruitment ads for Voter Outreach, Inc, run
on careerbuilder.com in targeted states (including Missouri and
Arizona), the bottom of the ads included this statement:
Paid for by the Republican National Committee. www.gop.com.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Folks, this was an organized effort in swing states by the Republican
Party using Nathan Sproul as their hatchet man.
In fact, democrats.com noted Mr. Sproul's efforts in Oregon on
September 22, 2004 with this piece:
GOP Caught Trying to Use Public Libraries as Fronts
22-Sep-04
Bush Campaign 2004
Mail Tribune:
"A local librarian checking on a company's request to set up a voter
registration booth in the library discovered the company was not
affiliated with a non-partisan national group as it claimed.
Sproul & Associates, Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., phoned and mailed the
library in September, saying it had been hired by America Votes.
That came as news to America Votes. 'This organization (Sproul)
absolutely has nothing to do with America Votes,' said Kevin Looper,
the state organizing director for America Votes.
America Votes is a non-partisan political organization formed in July
2003 to increase voter registration, education and participation in
electoral politics. Libraries in Oregon and other states have been
contacted by Sproul."
A little digging by librarian Megan O'Flaherty revealed that Sproul &
Associates, Inc. is a political consulting firm headed up by former
Arizona state Republican Party executive director Nathan Sproul.
But they didn't put all the pieces together.
Sproul is operating this bogus scam in numerous states.
In Arizona, Sproul set up an organization to battle a proposed Clean
Elections initiative that was to be placed on the ballot.
Clean Elections would clean up campaign financing in Arizona by
delivering public funds to candidates.
Sproul wanted no part of that, as this article from azcentral.com
makes clear.
(Note: It's a cached file so I can't post a direct link.)
The story includes some interesting history on Sproul:
It can be a complicated program.
But simplicity is the key for the anti-Clean Elections committee.
Even its name, No Taxpayer Money for Politicians, looks to make the
question easy for voters in the November election.
It doesn't encourage them to query whether the previous system, with
lawmakers beholden to monied special interests, would serve them
better.
And it doesn't get them to ask why the former head of the Arizona
Republican Party and the state's Christian Coalition would be pushing
the move.
Sproul, who was born and raised in Tempe, has floated between
religious and secular politics.
He interned in the office of then-Rep. Jon Kyl during his successful
1994 run for the U.S. Senate, a campaign buoyed by Kyl's perfect
voting score from the Christian Coalition.
Sproul then worked for the Arizona Christian Coalition, eventually
becoming head of that organization.
He became executive director of the state Republican party in 1999,
stepping down in January 2002.
The Christian Coalition was under intense scrutiny for its political
activities during the 1990s.
As a non-profit organization, it was prohibited from working to elect
candidates.
But the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service
determined it was too political.
In particular, the FEC cited the campaign of J.D. Hayworth in 1994,
the sportscaster's first run at Congress.
The FEC determined that it was improper for Thomas Grabinski, who was
head of the Arizona Christian Coalition, to also work for Hayworth's
campaign.
Especially because the Coalition was preparing voters guides to hand
out at churches - guides that were fairly blatant endorsements of
Republicans like Hayworth and Kyl.
Usually, any appearance of the Coalition and a campaign working
together would be deemed a violation of election law.
But a federal judge said it was impossible to prove that Grabinski's
work with the Christian Coalition influenced his work on the Hayworth
campaign.
Sproul was also accused of questionable tactics.
His name comes up in a U.S. Senate committee report on the
organization's activities.
The report cites an Arizona caucus meeting during the 1995 national
Christian Coalition meeting in which Sproul told members to become
active in politics, especially as local precinct committeemen, but to
not let on that the Coalition told them to do so.
An account of that meeting first appeared in The Arizona Republic.
Apparently for Mr. Sproul, the law be damned.
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| Hezbollah endorses George W. Bush: http://www.hezbollah.ws/
| 18. You think loading a dishwasher means getting your wife drunk.
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