And the penalty for Congressman Turner: Nada
Mike Turner, the lawyer, the Congressman, and the man who should already be up on corruption charges for his wife’s no-bid DDC contract, her work for the Home Depot PAC and work for the Army Corps of Engineers- now, ignores the law once again to go campaigning at – you guessed it: The Clinton County Board of Elections while people are voting.
If our election laws had any teeth- he would be disqualified from the ballot for this behavior, instead, nothing.
Here’s the DDN piece on it:
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner was asked to leave the Clinton County Board of Elections on Monday morning after the county’s election chief saw him behind the counter.
“I probably appeared pretty rude,” said Betsy Hart, director of the Clinton County Board of Elections. “I was just so appalled he was in here. It really caught me off guard.”
Hart said a staffer alerted her to the fact that Turner was in the office at around 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3. She saw him behind the counter, and found out later that a deputy director had asked him to step behind the counter because of the number of people in the office wanting to vote.
“He shouldn’t have been anywhere near the polling place unless he’s here to register or here to vote,” she said.
Matt McDowell, Turner’s campaign manager, said Turner went to the board of elections at the request of one of the board members.
“Clinton County Board of Elections Board Member Roger Bennett asked Congressman Turner to stop by the Clinton County Board of Elections to say hello,” he said. ” At no time did Congressman Turner engage in any form of campaign activity.”
Jeff Ortega, a spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, said Ohio electioneering law prohibits anyone but voters, election workers and law enforcement and election observers from being within 100 feet of a polling place.
Turner, R-Centerville, faces Washington Twp. Democrat Jane Mitakides in today’s vote.
Hart, a Democrat, said Turner told her he came in to congratulate the board on the election. She said he left when asked.
This is the same kind of arrogance that Turner displayed when he was Mayor of Dayton, when he thought our Open Meeting laws didn’t apply to him, nor did the First Amendment apply when anyone questioned his actions.
To all of you with Obama and Turner signs in your yard- you obviously don’t understand how this all works.
Direct quote from Jane Mitakidis’ website:
“If you have any time at all, please help us at the polls, talking to and educating voters, we need our volunteers now more than ever!”
I could be wrong…but isn’t that illegal? Isn’t that why Mike Turner couldn’t be at the polls?
What an idiot. I guess we’ll have to look forward to kicking Turner out in 2010.
The Clinton County thing is maybe excusable if thats not a polling place.
Yesterday Turner did something similar, at the County Building downtown, which was open for early voting. If so it sounds like he was electioneering at a polling place:
This apppeared in Democratic Underground, so no press confirmation.
“He walked around chatting with hundreds of waiting voters inside and outside the Administration Building which houses the Montgomery County Board of Elections. There is a 100 foot rule/ away from the polls law and signs marked the boundaries outside….he just ignored them, repeatedly. Jane Mitakides his Democratic Congressional opponent, she was outside on the sidewalk with Judge Candidates who all were obeying the law.
Was this behavior against the rules/law? I was told it was………..Any feedback to share, anyone?”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=172×25158
“Help us at the polls” might be just another way of saying “Help us win the election”.
Maybe she didn’t literally mean AT the polls.
I mean, ALL candidates hope that their campaign efforts and volunteer support before an election will ultimately “help them at the polls”, right?
It’s not illegal to canvass on election day, and that’s probably what she’s asking people to do. You can even stand outside a polling place and solicit votes, as long as you’re 100 feet away.
But even so, poor choice of words.
In the article it clearly states at the Clinton county BoE, people were waiting to vote so he stepped behind the counter (a polling place). Turner isn’t even supposed to be in the building, NO MATTER IF HE DID ANY CAMPAIGNING OR NOT. He knows better, he did it not once but TWICE. If Mrs. Hart from the Clinton County BOE felt she had “appeared pretty rude” she’s not doing her job. If indeed, the staffer Roger Bennett who invited Rep. Turner to the polling place ON ELECTION DAY, should be fired, because he knows better also. Typical Modus Operandi for this individual who is getting ready to pack up and move to Washington DC.
BTW, check this out Esrati
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/3/101938/781/84/650798
What I was concerned about was the “talking to and educating voters” immediately following “help us at the polls”. If she was trying to recruit people to talk to voters at the polls, it’s almost as bad as Turner. Although she probably never had the support to follow through.
If the congressman was changing votes then yes I would get up set. You people are going over the top about this. CHILL out, relax and get a cup of coffee.