Conservative Culture

It was an ugly fight for the Allen County Republican Chairmanship. Yet the old fashioned grass roots political hay ended with a vote by the Central Committee. Kirk and her supporters lost the election big time. Especially as Kirk took on an absolutely negative tone. End of story? You might think. But the twist is that the tone has taken what one might readily describe as “Democratic” in nature. She and her supporters haven’t realized they lost. Or should I quote Al Gore about how the election was stolen?

LIMA — The Allen County Board of Elections is investigating two men who ran for Republican precinct posts and voted from addresses at which they may not have resided…..

Election falsification is a fifth-degree felony. Voting in a precinct in which that person is not a legally qualified elector is a fourth-degree felony.

Elections Director Keith Cunningham presented a report Tuesday to the board, stemming from a complaint made in April by longtime U.S. Rep. Michael Oxley aide Kelly Kirk. At the time, Kirk was challenging Cheney for his job and they were recruiting people to run for and fill committee slots.

Cheney said both parties routinely recruit for committee positions, and while this year was more vigorous than in past years, he operated as he always has, from the list of registered voters from the Board of Elections.

Cheney said he will abstain from voting at the hearing, removing any appearance of a conflict of interest.

Kirk noticed a discrepancy when she mailed Ridenour and Hullinger a letter about her candidacy and the mail was returned to her, according to a letter she sent to Cunningham. Kirk asked the board to confirm if Ridenour and Hullinger resided at the addresses they provided.

Cunningham sent address confirmation cards to Ridenour and Hullinger and both were returned.

Ridenour’s petition to run as a write-in candidate for committee representative for Lima Precinct 6-C and his voter registration card includes his listed address as 546 Nova St. Ridenour voted from that address six times since 2000. Ridenour received a single vote, and as no one else ran in the precinct, won the seat.

Hullinger’s petition to run as a write-in for Jackson Township Precinct W and his voter registration card includes a listed address of 8575 Harding Highway. Hullinger voted from that address four times since 2000. He lost his race to Kevin Reese.

At the meeting Tuesday, Cunningham had given the board his report, but there had been no discussion on the matter and the board was close to adjourning when board member Chuck Rossfeld, a Republican, asked what action the board would take.

“There’s been a complaint filed,” Rossfeld said. “We have to satisfy the complaint, or we’re in jeopardy.”

A discussion on past practices addressing similar complaints led to consensus on the hearing, at which people will give recorded testimony.

Kirk brought several charges up during the campaign but they didn’t gain any traction. Thinking the election was in the bag it wasn’t much of a deal. But now fellow supporters, Rossfeld and Cunningham, are being used in an attempt to attach felony convictions against two Cheney supporters. The end game is to eventually attach such felonious behavior to the Chairman.

How much traction does this really have? Probably not much. I doubt the Prosecutor’s office will pick it up. Second, it appears that the address problem may rest with the Elections Board and unconfirmed reports that the Elections Board has told Fox news (local) that the addresses have been taken care of and the problem no longer exists. It appears the two men went to the Board of Elections and revealed the Board’s error.

Whatever the case is… they knew it would end up as nothing. Yet they did it for the news splash at the Lima News which ran it on the top of the Front Page! You would have thought the Director Cunningham would have done the fact finding before putting the splash in the newspaper. There is a reason but just think how damaging what these men have done (for nothing) to the Republican Party in a tough campaign year. It’s wrong, careless but definitely intentional.

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