Posted on 04/14/2004 4:25:47 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Cuellar's camp cites lack of specifics.
LAREDO — U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez filed a long-awaited lawsuit here today challenging the results of a controversial recount that carried opponent Henry Cuellar to the Democratic nomination.
The suit, filed in 341st District Court on Cuellar's home turf, alleges that there is "no ready or plausible explanation" for a dramatic swing in votes in Zapata and Webb counties during a recount of the March 9 election.
Rodriguez, who came away with a slim 145-vote victory March 9, saw that lead evaporate into a 203-vote loss after Cuellar picked up a total of 347 net votes in the two South Texas counties in the 11-county recount. While the Rodriguez camp has hinted that fraud may have played a role in the outcome, the five-page lawsuit does not levy any specific allegations.
"We're not going to go into details of what we're going to prove and how we're going to prove it," said Buck Wood, Rodriguez's Austin-based attorney who addressed members of the media today.
The Cuellar campaign immediately seized on the lack of specifics in the lawsuit as an indication that the legal maneuver is baseless.
"While no one welcomes a lawsuit, the Cuellar organization is pleased that now, with today's filing, Congressman Rodriguez and his campaign will have to present hard facts — clear and convincing proof of voter fraud," said Cuellar spokesman T.J. Connolly. "We are confident that there are no facts to back up any of the allegations that the Rodriguez organization has been manufacturing for the past two weeks."
He added: "As Mr. Rodriguez's own attorney stated today, there are no bombshells in their filing with the court. In fact, there is no ammunition in their charges period."
Recount lawsuits generally garner expedited attention, and Wood said he hopes to have a ruling within a month.
Today's filing is the latest wrinkle in a political drama that has unfolded for months in the district, which stretches from Hays County in the north to Zapata County in the south.Rodriguez, a seven-year incumbent from San Antonio, was expected to win his re-election bid, but he barely squeaked by during the March 9 primary with a slim 145 votes.
Cuellar, a former Texas secretary of state and one-time Texas House colleague of Rodriguez, called for a manual recount of the more than 48,000 votes cast in the race.
After minimal changes in several counties, Cuellar suddenly gained 170 net votes in Zapata and 177 net votes in Webb, both of which are considered solid bases of support for him.Cuellar is the current Democratic nominee for the seat by a margin of 203 votes.
-----------rrodriguez@express-news.net
I wonder if he protested when Algore was magically picking up hundreds of new votes in Broward and Palm Beach counties?
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