AURORA | A four-month investigation by the Arapahoe County district attorney’s office — which included six staffers working more than 300 hours investigating 41 suspects — has turned up two people who voted illegally in recent elections.
More than half of the voters the Colorado Secretary of State’s office asked prosecutors to look at were eligible voters.
District Attorney George Brauchler said he believes voter fraud is a serious issue, but the investigation didn’t doesn’t happen much.
“I think there is evidence that there isn’t widespread voter fraud,” he said.
Brauchler’s office started the investigation in early July after Secretary of State Scott Gessler gave prosecutors a list of 41 voters who may have voted illegally in an election between 2008 and 2013.
Andrew Cole, a spokesman for Secretary of State Scott Gessler, said the two men charged in Aurora are the only people from Gessler’s list who will face charges. But, Cole said, there is evidence that more people from that list voted illegally, but local prosecutors opted not to charge them with a crime.
Cole said he didn’t know how many of the 155 people voted illegally, but he said the investigations show there is a problem in the state that allows non-citizens to register and vote.
That’s why the investigation, even though it only resulted in charges for two of the 155 people, was important, he said.
“If you ask people about it they would say, ‘I don’t want ineligible people voting,’” he said.
The two Aurora men charges — a 72-year-old Ethiopian immigrant and a 47-year-old Polish immigrant — are facing misdemeanor charges of procuring false registration.
Two other men who worked for a nonprofit that registered voters have also been charged after prosecutors say they registered voters who were ineligible to vote.
Of the people on Gessler’s list, 27 were registered Democrats, 13 were unaffiliated and one was registered with the Green Party.
Both Gessler and Brauchler are Republicans.
Brauchler said in a statement that investigators determined 21 of the suspects were eligible to vote. Prosecutors weren’t able to find enough evidence to charge another 10, and there were eight that investigators were unable to locate.
Gessler’s list covered the four counties in the 18th Judicial District — Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln — but the vast majority of suspects, 37, were in Arapahoe County.
While the investigation resulted in just four people facing minor charges, Brauchler said he still believes the investigation was a good use of resources.
“Without question I do,” he said. “You don’t know the answer until you start looking.”
If the Secretary of State or a local clerk and recorder presents the DA’s office with further evidence of voter fraud, Brauchler said his office will again investigate.
There it is. After a cherry picked list was provided they found 2.
How will our Democracy survive unless we start cutting voting hours, demand people show 14 forms of ID and allow anyone to question the voting status of anyone that looks like they may vote for the opposing party.
“What are you, a Democrat or an American?” A question that we will all soon face.
What a joke and waste of money all to justify kicking off voters the rolls, cutting back voting hours and requiring a poll tax…I mean ID.
We need to make the process a simple as possible and allow same day registration. GOP wants less people to vote because it increases their chances of winning—FACT.
2 comments on this. 1st. Headline should have been very small, since it does not tell the whole truth. Most readers will not read the article, and realize others were questionable, “but local prosecutors opted not to charge them”. 2nd. If Gouko787 and majority party is so sure that fraud does not occur, then let the Secretary of State do his job. Voter rolls are supposed to be accurate, and obviously if dead people are still on active rolls, people who have moved are still on the rolls, and voters are voting in several different states or areas, THEN ROLLS NEED TO BE CORRECTED. Recently MSM did a report of several states co-operating to find and remove names of so many who voted in 2 or 3 states. This was a big issue few years ago among the “snow bird” folks voting in state they wintered in, and also voting where their permanent, fixed residence was. And college students vote in college areas, and also parents home residence area. Don’t even try to tell me this does not happen, having lived, traveled, and served within 44 of our 50 states, over 26 year military career.
As well as precincts in Pennsylvania that had over 100% voter turnout and 100% of those voted for one party. That didn’t even happen in Stalin’s Russia.
What is so wrong about maintaining the integrity of the vote?
Frank25…I agree that the SOS has a duty to prevent voter fraud,
That does not mean getting a list of voters from a group with a political agenda on eliminating voters who tend to vote Democratic and carrying out their political agenda.
The attempt to find voter fraud is to find an excuse for all the efferts the GOP is making in limiting and resticting voting, Elections should be easy, verifiable and accurate, We should be able to register the same day and have access to mail-in and early voting if we choose.
All for accurate elections, but let’s try to expand voting, not limit it to those who we tend to agree with.
And just how do you know that? Without being investigated, or prosecuted (but they are if you just browse the net and ask) or check PEW organizations which is non-partisan and non-funded by special groups, how can you feel so smug about your statement. I have read your comments before, and we know this occurs in New York (Tammany hall) and Chicago( where community organizer consists of going to cemetery and recording names on tombstones so they can cast their choices). When my mother-in-law and her sister was in independent living, in West Denver, they were queried too many times about needing help in voting. How else would we get some of the folks elected, that we do? Anyone who truly wants to vote, will register, and know something about what and who they are voting for.
“District Attorney George Brauchler said he believes voter fraud is a serious issue, but the investigation didn’t doesn’t happen much.”
Am I the only one cringing at the ridiculous verbiage in this sentence? The investigation didn’t doesn’t happen much… holy cow. Literacy anyone? Proofreading?
Are you thinking that if everyone wrote by proper arrangement of words, that voter fraud would not exist? Personally I cringed in English classes all those years ago when we had to diagram sentences. Never saw the value of that. But the teachers ate it up, by watching us struggle to determine verbs from nouns, etc. Personally, I learned more in evening college course where we were told “speaker – writer should determine the receivers, then write -speak to transfer message. My anger-frustration is directed at the lack of knowledge of candidates possessed by too many voters, who vote on color of necktie; whether candidate has a pretty smile; or vote party line, without even knowing who is on that line. Just look for the D, R, L, for party. Or those who come to the polls with a sample ballot, obviously marked by someone else.
I want to see easy, accurate voting, but am solidly opposed to same day registration. Anyone truly interested in same, political purity, and knowledge by the voters, should require prior registration, show of photo ID, and complete this in office. Practice of paid collectors by parties and special groups result in fraud. Identity theft is too prevalent and easy with computers and internet, and anyone who does not pre-register, keep that accurate if they move or change info, will not know who is campaigning or on what platform. I don’t care what party or no party affiliation, but I do resent knowing there is fraud in the system, and those charged with accuracy are prevented from keeping the rolls current and accurate. Fraudulent charges or accusing them of bias, is just as deadly as allowing fraudulent voting to continue. And I don’t buy distance, age, or infirmity as excuse, in this day and age. Mother in law and her sister both had Colorado non-driving ID at age 97 and 99, and collected Social Security and got Medical Care as needed.