As of Monday, December 5, 2011
© Copyright 2013
Albany Herald
ALBANY, Ga. — The Albany-Dougherty County Elections board called — and then canceled — a special emergency meeting to “discuss allegations of election fraud,” elections officials say. The meeting was to have been conducted Wednesday.
An agenda sent to the media Monday afternoon also said that the board would consider forming a committee to research the allegations, but that, too, has been canceled.
Elections Supervisor Ginger Nickerson said that the called meeting was canceled after speaking with Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee. “Based on advice from legal counsel, the meeting was canceled,” Nickerson said.
Nickerson said she didn’t know what “fraud” prompted the meeting to be called, but that Board Chairman Walter Blankenship called the meeting.
Blankenship couldn’t be reached Monday night.
Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards, who has authority to investigate any allegations of crime including voter fraud, said Monday afternoon that he hadn’t been contacted by anyone from the board about the matter.
“Certainly if there is an allegation of a crime that merits or necessitates involvement of the attorney general or the GBI, we’ll investigate it,” Edwards said.
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Comments
KaosinAlbany 1 year, 5 months ago
So the SOS investigator must have found something. Can't wait to hear who the alleged person is. We have a town filled with people who do nothing but defraud everything and we need to start sending strong messages to those individuals who are caught. I say send them to prison for a really long time.
LuLu 1 year, 5 months ago
Will this be something along the same lines as the school board investigating allegations of lying and cheating? Pardon me if I don't believe a thing that comes out of this!
whattheheck 1 year, 5 months ago
I would think with the 2012 election implications inherent in the accusations, the effort had better be a good one since the Secretary of State may decide to be on them like a duck on a june bug. Do it, and do it right, because credibility will be a big issue on this one.
Albanite 1 year, 5 months ago
Alright- lets see if the newspaper has any journalists on its payroll. What was the reason for the meeting and WHY was it cancelled? Otherwise, you will get scooped by the Journal - again.
J.D._Sumner 1 year, 5 months ago
Albanite, the meeting was canceled because it's not the elections board's job to investigate allegations of crime. That's up to the district attorney. Oh and credible journalists don't hide behind anonymous sources...just saying...
ObjectiveEyes 1 year, 5 months ago
Good answer, JD. AND good point...just saying.
gotanyfacts 1 year, 5 months ago
JD.- looking past Albanite's snideness, it would have been informative for the reason you give to have been included in the article. Other blank spaces include- Who made the charges? What are the actions being claimed? If no one on the board is willing to talk, at least let your readers know you asked. Let us know that there is some "chin rubbing" going on when reporting your stories.
KaosinAlbany 1 year, 5 months ago
Are u saying Tom doesn't have credible sources? I laugh because he does have credible sources and what was written last week is very true. Just wait and see...
Jack_Frost 1 year, 4 months ago
So...I guess Carlton Fletcher isn't a credible journalist then?
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2012/jan/07/if-not-illegal-intrusion-denigrates-right/?opinion
Jack_Frost 1 year, 4 months ago
Oh yeah, I guess that means Woodward and Bernstein weren't credible either, huh?
Of course, no one is ever surprised when JD totes the establishment's water. Pathetic.
KaosinAlbany 1 year, 5 months ago
The law needs to be changes so the Secretary of State has more authority over municipal elections and it will put an end to a lot of the confusion that is going on now. Let the State investigate and not the city.
KaosinAlbany 1 year, 5 months ago
changed not changes.
ObjectiveEyes 1 year, 5 months ago
Ms. Nickerson, I hope the first telephone call you make tomorrow is to appropriate authorities.
whattheheck 1 year, 5 months ago
With the Brooks Co fraud case festering and sounding all too familiar to the Albany allegations, this one needs to be done right. It is not likely an investigation answering to the Board would have met any reasonable standard for sufficiency. You don't turn a serious potential fraud case over to just any person or group-Jamhal a.k.a. "Hunker" and "Little Z", Billy Bob Baseballcap, and Jane Homemaker-Wrecker won't do. So the extra time is likely to be coming up with Plan B that perhaps makes more sense.
In Albany, internal-controlled investigations don't seem to pass the muster as was so aptly shown in the CRCT debacle. But I don't put much confidence in the DA, also an elected official, either since Cutliff Grove has been on his plate way to long. With 2012 elections rapidly approaching, this one needs real trained professional help--from the outside by people who carry more than lunch in their briefcases.
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