5 Democratic Activists Charged With Election Day Tire Slashing (Milwaukee)

The Milwaukee Channel ^ | 1/24/05 | None Listed

[garyhope]

Hmmmm, I didn't notice any Billy Jim Bob Smith there among the other good American names.

When will these rich, white, Republican's learn to not slash peoples tires. When will they stop engaging in massive voting fraud?! Shame, shame. (Sarcasm?)

[Mr. K]

If it had been paid Bush supporters they would have gone all the way up to hold W personally responsible.

[george wythe]

"This is a case that should outrage citizens of all political stripes. It is extremely troubling to see the depths to which the Democrat Party will sink to disrupt the political process through criminal means -- all in an effort to prop up the Democrats' flailing candidates and floundering agenda. This was not merely a case of hooligans committing an act of vandalism. This was a deliberate attack on our electoral system," Graber said.

You can say that again. They slashed the tires of the vehicles near the exit, so they blocked the other cars for over two hours. This is not a spur of the moment act involving nobodies.

[UB355]

+- 11,000

[conservative in nyc]

Here's the longer AP' article, from Trainer_D's now locked thread. The headline doesn't even give a clue as to the party affiliation of the perps. I wonder if Yahoo/AP would have done the same for a Republican. For some reason, I doubt it:

Lawmaker's Son Charged in Tire-Slashing

52 minutes ago U.S. National - AP

By GRETCHEN EHLKE, Associated Press Writer

MILWAUKEE - The sons of a first-term congresswoman and Milwaukee's former acting mayor were among five Democratic activists charged Monday with slashing the tires of vans rented by Republicans to drive voters and monitors to the polls on Election Day.

Sowande Omokunde, son of Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., and Michael Pratt, the son of former Milwaukee acting mayor Marvin Pratt, were among those charged with criminal damage to property, a felony that carries a maximum punishment of 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The activists are accused of flattening the tires on 25 vehicles rented by the state Republican Party to get out the vote and deliver poll watchers Nov. 2.

Also charged were Lewis Caldwell and Lavelle Mohammad, both from Milwaukee, and Justin Howell of Racine.

The GOP rented more than 100 vehicles that were parked in a lot adjacent to a Bush campaign office. The party planned to drive poll watchers to polling places by 7 a.m. and deliver any voters who didn't have a ride.

A criminal complaint said the defendants originally planned to put up Democratic yard signs, placards and bumper stickers at the Republican office in a scheme they called "Operation Elephant Takeover." But the plan was dropped when they learned a security guard was posted at the GOP office, the complaint said.

One witness told investigators the five defendants, dressed in "Mission Impossible" type gear, black outfits and knit caps, left the Democratic Party headquarters at about 3 a.m. on Nov. 2, and returned about 20 minutes later, extremely excited and talking about how they had slashed the tires.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Seth Boffeli said the five were paid employees of John Kerry (news - web sites)'s presidential campaign, but were not acting on behalf of the campaign or party.

"This is not something we engage in, or encourage. We had to make it clear that this is something these individuals were doing on their own," Boffeli said.

Some Republican officials have criticized Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann, a Democrat, for taking more than two months to bring charges.

McCann said FBI (news - web sites) agents were involved in interviewing witnesses in four states: Georgia, Virginia, Maryland and New York.

"We asked the FBI knowing that this probably wouldn't be their first priority," he said.

Rick Wiley, state GOP executive director, discovered the vandalism on the morning of Election Day.

"It was unbelievable that people could stoop this low in a political campaign," he said. "I figured it had to be someone from the opposition. But I didn't think someone on the paid Kerry campaign would do this."

Wiley didn't say whether the vandalism prevented anyone from voting, but said poll watchers were about two hours late.

Moore did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

[Major_Risktaker]

MILWAUKEE -- The son of first-term U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (seen run away from the police) is among five Democratic activists charged with vandalizing some Republican vehicles meant to be used on Election Day.

The five are accused of cutting the tires on some 20 vans and cars parked in a lot adjacent to a Bush campaign staging office. The

Sowande Omokunde, the son of former acting Mayor Marvin Pratt says they are innocent of the felony count of criminal damage to property.

The five members of the Democratic Party are accused of cutting the tires on some 20 vans and cars parked in a lot adjacent to a Bush campaign staging office.

[freeangel]

I wonder how much of the publics' money will be spent defending these jerks on behalf of the dem darling moore?

[pittsburgh gop guy]

A mighty BUMP!

[jackbill]

Supreme Solar Allah's momma is here:

http://www.house.gov/gwenmoore/

[jackbill]

Jim Angle, sitting in for Brit Hume on FNC Special Report, mentioned this story on the Grapevine tonight.

I will probably check CBS to see if Cap'n Dan does the same.

[KneelBeforeZod]

HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO BET THEY ARE DEMOCRATS???!!!?!? IF THEY WERE REPUBLICANS THEY PRESS WOULD MENTION IT!!!!.

oh wait. never mind.

[BenLurkin]

Please ping for Mr. H-

[Randjuke]

Supreme Solar Allah, 23; Self Wise Allah, 24; Universal Knowledge Allah, 25; and Charles Dennis , 50. "One of these names is not like the others....one of these names are not the same...."

Yeah, I noticed that too. I can just hear Mr. Dennis at the meetings "come on, guys, I wanta be an Allah, too. I'll bring doughnuts next time. Whatever it takes, come on guys..."

[hoosiermama]

It was in Ohio....TYpe "repository" in search...You'll find the story there.

[hoosiermama]

Well here's another state that has some actions taken against rats.

[smonk]

---It was in Ohio....---

oops. thanks.

[ViLaLuz]

Disgusting...

[maryz]

It did make the regular half-hourly Fox news.

[ninenot]

The "news" here is the indictments, not the criminal vandalism w/disenfranchisement as its objective.

[ninenot]

CREAM CITY MENTORS

Funded, perhaps, by OIC?