Full Disclosure Network

Orange County, CA. Watch angry citizen campaign leaders describe what the Voter Registrar Neal Kelly did wrong to two separate campaigns. Now, according to widespread news reports, the Los Angeles Times article stated “The report found that Kelley allowed school district officials to view signature petitions in violation of state law — an error Kelley previously admitted — and erred when he told district officials that signature verification and a special recall election would cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars”. So now he has been found negligent in his handling of the CUSD Recall petition campaign in a report commissioned by the Board of Supervisors and is bracing for an unprecedented and growing onslaught of criticism, as he has been entrusted to run the November elections.

CITIZENS WORRY OVER CORRUPTED DATA BASE

Appearing in the video are representatives from the ”Newporters for Responsible Government“ (NRG) Spokesman John Buttolph, Campaign Organizer Tom Billings, and Initiative Coordinator Liz Vitale. The NRG group describes a corrupted voter registration database that was provided to them by the Voter Registrar’s Office that caused confusion and delay on their signature gathering. The group is attempting to qualify an initiative in the City of Newport Beach that would mandate voter approval on COPs (Certificate of Participation Bonds) to finance public projects. NRG expressed concerns in two letters to the Registrar, requesting fairness be exercised when validating their petitions and signatures.

CUSD RECALL CAMPAIGN AGREES

Also in the video, corruption of the voter database was substantiated by leaders of the CUSD Recall Campaign; Tom Russell, Spokesman and Jennifer Beall, campaign organizer, who describe in the video the similar problems they encountered with the Orange County Registrar’s office. In December of 2005, the Registrar invalidated a high percentage of voter signatures declaring the petitions did not qualify to recall all seven CUSD Trustees.

OC REGISTRAR/COUNTY COUNSEL REFUSE TO COMMENT

When contacted for a statement and explanation Acting OC Registrar Neal Kelly refused to be interviewed, nor would he provide an official statement acknowledging the problems. Kelly referred the news media to the County Counsel’s office for a response and ordered his employees not to talk to the media. Senior Deputy County Counsel Ann Fletcher did provide a written statement to the Full Disclosure Network™ …“the Registrar will not prepare the requested statement” and cited the Public Records Act as the authority.