Home
A complaint was filed with the state Board of Elections this afternoon by state GOP Chairwoman Patricia Morgan, over “illegal’’ and “misleading’’ flyers Democrats were handing out at polling places.
Under the heading, “Official Election Ballot,’’ the flyers list the names of Democratic candidates only. Morgan sought a cease and desist order.
Elections board officials were unavailable for comment, but shortly after 5:15 p.m., state Democratic Party Chairman William Lynch said the board met and dismissed the complaint.
After denying that the state Democratic Party had paid for the flyers seen in Providence and North Providence, he belittled the complaint as “a ridiculous, frivolous, pathetic, desparate last-minute attempt by the Chafee campaign to do anything that might distract people and suppress voter turnout.’’
“There is no law against it,’’ he said, “just an attempt to get the press and radio talking about something different instead of why we need to change the direction of the U.S. Senate.
-- Katherine Gregg, Journal staff writer
In her letter of complaint to Thomas Iannitti, acting chairman of the state elections board, Morgan wrote: “These campaign flyers illegally mislead voters and violate’’ state and federal law by failing to disclose that they were paid for by the Rhode Island Democratic party.’’
“Additionally,’’ she argued, the mock ballots “are fully marked with the arrow completely filled in for each Democratic party candidate, a criminal violation and a felony.’’
U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee’s campaign expressed outrage at “at these tactics’’ and also called upon the Democrats “to cease this fraudulent activity. The action is illegal because there is no disclaimer informing recipients who has paid for the flyers. In addition, the campaign is concerned about the fact that the flyers clearly instruct voters how to cast their votes."
