Oglala order could prevent GOP poll watching on Pine Ridge Reservation (South Dakota Fraud Alert)

Aberdeen American News ^ | Fri, Oct. 29, 2004 | Carson Walker

[Pardon Me]

Oglala order could prevent GOP poll watching on Pine Ridge

CARSON WALKER

Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A tribal judge filed an order Friday that, if upheld, may prevent South Dakota Republican Party workers from observing Tuesday's voting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The Four Directions Committee, which bills itself as a nonpartisan group trying to increase American Indian voting, was granted the temporary restraining order against the South Dakota Republican Party and Ryan Knutson. Oglala Sioux Tribe Judge Marina Fast Horse signed the order without telling them about it ahead of time.

In the document, Four Directions accuses Knutson of intimidating its workers on Wednesday at Pine Ridge by videotaping them on private property as they discussed the voting process.

It does not accuse him of intimidating voters going to the polls early.

Four Directions Executive Director Bret Healy said Friday evening the intent is to stop intimidation of tribal members.

"It's a two-by-four upside the head to get the attention of the folks that are causing problems," he said. "We want an election that doesn't have this kind of nonsense going on."

Attorney General Larry Long got a copy of the order late Friday afternoon and said he is not sure whether the tribal judge's order can be enforced and how many Republicans it applies to.

"Anyone who's subject to the order, presumably if they go within 100 yards of a polling place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, they'll be arrested and thrown in jail," he said after reading the order.

"I don't think you can read the order and reach either conclusion" about whether it merely applies to Knutson or all Republican employees and volunteers, Long said.

This weekend, Long plans to try to figure out if the state should file a legal response.

Healy said the order does not preclude Republicans from being at the polls.

"I guess it's only employees of the South Dakota Republican Party. That wouldn't affect volunteer poll watchers," he said.

But Long and Jason Glodt, executive director of the Republican Party, said the way the order is written, it could be applied broadly.

"It limits it to (Sen. Tom) Daschle and Democrat lawyers," Glodt said. "This is a page right out of the DNC (Democratic National Committee) playbook - their pre-emptive strike game plan that their poll watchers are supposed to claim intimidation, even if there's no proof of intimidation."

Glodt said Knutson hasn't worked for the party since early September but acknowledged that someone else was videotaping people in Pine Ridge in response to reports of voter problems.

"They were simply observing problems that were reported. They were not in or anywhere near a polling place," he said. "Our point is what are the Democrats trying to hide? Why don't they want Republican poll watchers in Pine Ridge?"

Healy said if Republicans had heard of voter problems, they should have told the auditor.

"What reports of irregularities?" Healy said. "They ought to report that to the appropriate authorities instead of going out there in vigilante style."

Glodt said the party had not yet decided how to respond.

The incident listed in the court order happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Robert Vander-Linden and other committee workers were gathered south of Pine Ridge on the property of PTI, a propane business, as drivers arrived with voter lists. They "were discussing voter turnout issues when a commotion occurred on the described private lands. The Four Directions Committee members turned to see Ryan Knutson videotaping the petitioners," the order states.

When asked what he was doing, Knutson said he was "just doing my job." He drove to a different area of the property but eventually left toward White Clay, Neb.

Vander-Linden and the owners of PTI "were upset by Mr. Knutson's conduct," the document states.

Knutson, "by trespassing on private property, ignoring directives to vacate said property, and videotaping attempts to get out the Indian vote are clearly attempting to chill the Indian vote," it states.

Shannon and Jackson counties comprise the reservation, which has 16,000 residents.

Both major political parties and some campaigns have actively courted Indian voters this year.

[BooBoo1000]

I can hear the Indian crys now, " This is a sovereign Nation" and not ruled by the U.S". If this is the case then what are they doing voting in the U,S. Election.

" The People who vote don't count for anything, The People who count the votes count for everything" Joseph Stalin.

[sdpatriot]

i've already posted on this. see this thread for what you can do to help http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1262614/posts?page=5

number for the SD Att Gen is there and an e-mail link. let's overload his phone lines please

[txzman]

If the Indians are in their own country they shouldn't be voting in U.S. elections. 'Ya know that has crossed my mind many times. You can't have your cake and eat it too as I was always taught.

[quietolong]

Why the leftist RATs fear the 2nd; WWII Vets clean up vote fraud in Athens TN. 1946
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1261101/posts