Wednesday's P-I reports -- "Former elections worker investigated".
A former King County elections worker is under investigation for possible forgery, theft and criminal impersonation, the Sheriff's Office said yesterday, adding that none of the crimes is believed to have occurred while the worker held the county job.Why are they investigating someone who hasn't worked in the elections office in 2 1/2 years when they know full well that current elections workers violated all kinds of state election laws in November, falsified reports and may well have committed perjury in the Wenatchee trial? Why indeed.The Sheriff's Office did not identify the former employee.
But in response to a query from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, elections director Dean Logan said yesterday he was aware of an investigation of former elections superintendent Julie Anne Kempf that possibly involves falsified e-mails.
I know enough about this to know that the allegations against Kempf are almost certainly meritless and that the "investigation" is a political stunt designed to: (a) divert attention from the embarrassing reports that are still erupting from the Elections office, and (b) intimidate current election workers from talking to the media and the various investigating committees. All the better to scapegoat someone who has already been wrongfully scapegoated and discredited in the past.
I can only wonder who the increasingly desperate Sims will go after next. Fortunately, we're living in the USA and not Zimbabwe and this sort of abuse of power can only backfire.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at July 13, 2005 12:28 AM | Email ThisI'm thinking Julie Anne Kempf must have already spilled some beans to someone (or to some investigating organization) for Sims and Logan to trash her in this manner! This is a payback tactic - with the intent of discredting Kempf while at the same time using her as an example to those who also may want to come forward!
This tactic may have worked long ago..in another time...but today it just serves to p*ss people off! Another card falling from the Sims house of good home training! Your are correct...Ron Sims is getting very desperate!
Posted by: Deborah on July 13, 2005 01:04 AMLogan is the same guy that was all over TV when HE lied about not having found more ballots (they had), and then promptly suspended a bunch of low level election workers, threatening to fire them. (For what? His own lies?)
Notice the poor ladies who had to endure the humiliation, suspension, and the public embarrassment quietly were returned to work without so much as an apology after all of the slander heaped on them by King Ron "tax-to-the-max" Sims and "I'm proud of the way we ran the election" Logan.
I hope one of these falsely accused workers sues the crap out of someone. Start with Sims, and work they're way to Logan.
All he's gotta do is keep all the his disposable employees scared and silent for three, four months, tops, and he might squeak by with a chance to keep his job. Maybe.
If a whistleblower opens their trap before then, Sims is toast. Better make an example outta someone who has the goods on him.
I'd bet real money thats whats going on here.
Posted by: Evergreen on July 13, 2005 02:24 AMLogan and Sims need to grow a pair, a spine, and a chin. They aren't man enough to come out from their padded cells deal with anything straight on. But they're more than ready to make an appearance long enough to tie a woman to the train tracks.
(sorry folks, but like I said above, that type stuff really pi**es me off, and makes me want to drive my truck through the front door of KC offices an start introducing myself)...rant over, now.
Posted by: Danny on July 13, 2005 05:29 AM(brilliant move by sims to confuse the press)
Posted by: righton on July 13, 2005 06:39 AMWhat I got out of his press release was that it was important that the election process not be subverted by evil people and he was going to do his part by cleaning up elections.
My take on this is that the current powers that be in King County know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the citizens are upset over the past elections and the fraud that got Queen Christine in the Governors mansion. They also know that the voters are in a mode for vigilante justice and throwning out a lot of politicians (i.e. a Clean Sweep to get rid of status quo politicians).
They know this because of initiatives 900 & 912.
To retain power they have to figure out what is going on and then try to get in front of this movement. Going after an old election official and going after the petty organized crime money givers in Strippergate are the despirate actions of politicians trying to adjust to very very angry voters.
Posted by: Bob on July 13, 2005 07:30 AMI then thought of (the movie) Casablanca. "Round up the usual suspects!" Diversionary feel-good, selective prosecutions to dupe the stupid masses. Prosecute the overdue library book patron. Murders & rapists go free. We got "Simsed" again. Ouch.
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on July 13, 2005 07:44 AMThe local MSM will sit in the press conference, will their little air filled head bobbing up and down like those dogs in the back window of car. They will then trot back to their computer and report The Sims and Logan comedy hour as news.
Not a single one of them will even ask a relevant question like.
Excuse me, but Ms. Kempf left KCE before the '04 election how is she responsible?
Such a question requires a little amount of critical thinking, a skill bred out of MSM. It also may upset the status quo, God forbid, the MSM supports the current regime and they will only go after politicians they don't agree with.
We can only hope the kool aid drinkers of Seattle will finally ask; Why does my kool-aid taste funny?
Posted by: JCM on July 13, 2005 08:04 AMThey don't/won't ask that cause they've been told that the kool-aid should taste funny. That's how it should be in Socialist Seattle. Drink up and watch your County, State and Country waste away.
Also, I believe Sims favorite historical figure is Nero!
Posted by: It's Stefan's fault on July 13, 2005 08:50 AMI, too, can hardly wait for Julie Ann to be "blamed" for dragging the King County Elections Office - wonderful example that it is for the entire country! - through the muck and mire for the past several months.
Here's another thought. I'd do the work but, frankly, I'm too darned lazy.
Oh which "project" has King County spent more money?
1. Last month's scheduled Pacific Rim Sports Summit, which never came off, thanks in large part to the arrogance of King County.
2. Investigating the King County Elections Office.
I'd venture a guess that it is #1, though we may never know for certain (we have a record any bank would envy, but that doesn't mean we have to be accountable!).
Posted by: SnoCo Voter on July 13, 2005 11:06 AMMaybe it's time we realize that there are "professional activists" that will do or say whatever it takes to keep donations flowing in order to keep food on their families.
Beth Ferrari is tripping over herself to avoid an examination of Andy Stephenson’s role in all of this and her role in his fundraiser.
When are we as progressives going to realize just because people tell us what we want to hear it isn't always the truth?
Follow the money and we will always find the motives.
Julie looks guilty as sin and defending her just because she claims to be on our team is foolish.
Isn't King county ha heavily Dem county?