Officials Allege Crack-for-Registrationsdate: 20-October-2004
source : NEWS RADIO WOOD 1300
country: UNITED STATES
keyword: CRACK
editorial comment
Noelle Bush???
A 22-year-old Defiance, Ohio, man faces a felony charge stemming from a scheme in which the man allegedly was to be given crack cocaine for registering voters.
Officials claim that of the 130 voter-registration forms submitted by Chad Staton, only six were determined to be legitimate. Defiance County deputies told the Defiance Crescent-News that Staton, who has appeared before a Municipal Court judge and was released on a person-recognizance bond, was to have been paid for each registration with crack cocaine.
Sheriff David Westrick told the newspaper Staton made up some names -- such as Mary Poppins, Janet Jackson and Jeffrey Dahmer -- but other forms contains real names and accurate addresses.
Westrick told the Toledo Blade that Staton was working on behalf of a Toledo woman, who admitted giving Staton crack for the forms. That woman allegedly was connected with Toledo's NAACP Voter Fund.
A spokesman for the fund told the Blade the woman was a volunteer and he knew of no problems with the registration forms she submitted. The group issued a statement welcoming the investigation into the allegations.