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Voter Registration Firm Employee Working for the Virginia GOP Arrested for Dumping Registrations
Think Progress / News Analysis
Published: Saturday 20 October 2012
The 31-year-old man was charged with four counts of destruction of voter registration applications, eight counts of failing to disclose voter registration applications and one count of obstruction of justice.
Pennsylvania resident Colin Small was arrested Thursday after he was caught illegally destroying voter registration forms in Virginia. Smalls worked for a firm hired by the Republican Party of Virginia to register voters, but was spotted throwing away 8 voter registration forms in a dumpster on Monday, the deadline for registering to vote in Virginia.
The 31-year-old man was charged with four counts of destruction of voter registration applications, eight counts of failing to disclose voter registration applications and one count of obstruction of justice. Small was spotted by the owner of a store in Harrisonburg, Virginia, who became suspicious when he saw Small’s Pennsylvania license plate.
The Los Angeles Times has the details of the discarded forms:
Three of the voters turned out to be already registered, according to Donald Palmer, secretary of the Virginia State Board of Elections. The other five were not registered, and have since been added to the voter roll. Registration closed on Monday.
In Virginia, and other states, it’s a crime to accept a voter registration form and not turn it in. Small is charged with destroying voter registration applications and obstruction of justice.
“There is no indication this activity was widespread in our jurisdiction,” said a statement from the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is continuing, the sheriff’s office said.
Small worked for Strategic Allied Consulting, a registration firm now being investigated for submitting fraudulent registration forms in Florida. The Republican National Committee paid more than $3 million to SAC but quickly cut ties once the fraud came to light. As for Small, Virginia Republican Chairman Pat Mullins said he was fired as soon as the allegations surfaced. RNC spokesman Sean Spicer said Small had “made a mistake” and that the RNC “fully supports” the charges against him.
Though this is now the second criminal investigation against voter registration employees hired by the Republican Party, it hasn’t halted the shady registration practices still operating in at least ten states.
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By Aviva Shen
9 comments on "Voter Registration Firm Employee Working for the Virginia GOP Arrested for Dumping Registrations"
October 24, 2012 1:56am
90% of the GOP is white. That's a fact that speaks for itself, loudly.
October 21, 2012 7:09am
So, voter fraud ISN'T a non-issue, it's a REPUBLICAN issue. Scumbags.
October 20, 2012 10:33pm
Makes you wonder if the Plutocrat party didn't give him a thorough briefing reminiscent of movie spies being briefed by their CIA handlers. You know, where the chief says, "do this and do it right, but you're on your own, and if you get caught, we'll deny any knowledge of you."
I really wouldn't put anything past the Party of the Pitiful Rich, and I'm not usually into conspiracy theories.
And Greens aren't worried about Republican control of our government?
October 20, 2012 2:31pm
There is no surprise here it is categorically in line with all the sneaky, slimy and lying that they do. Does anyone think that this kid did this on his own because he has so much hatred for the Dem's? The sad part about this is the ignorance maintained by those that will still vote for the Republicans...they are the ones that are being duped by their own party.
October 20, 2012 1:56pm
Good, now maybe we can put strategic allied consulting out of business ala ACORN!
October 20, 2012 1:17pm
That is the face of the great American Brown Shirt. No difference. The GOP hates freedom, fairness and democracy.
October 21, 2012 7:11am
A Brown shirt hides the dirt.
October 20, 2012 11:37am
This should not come as surprise, since the RNC operates in a climate of fear. They like to scare their voters so that the poor slate of candidates they seem bent on fielding are made to look like saviors. There's the Islamic Jihadists, Nuclear Iran, etc. Real threats certainly, but not to the extant that they would have us believe.
Look at the political exploitation of the attack in Benghazi. Then look at 9/11. Did anyone try to exploit that for political advantage? People rallied to help those that needed it in the best tradition of what what it means to be American. We've seen too many of these "Me Firsters". We certainly don't need any of them running the country.
This "dirty trick" business comes up in every election. We saw it in the "Jim Crow" years, we've seen it in Immigration laws, Apartheid, and anything that creates an "us vs. them".
America seems to always rise above these petty elements in our body politic that strive to make us less than we are. There will always be bottom-feeders that appeal to the mean-spirited, but an informed and watchful electorate can and will seek out those like this misguided youth, who was operating in an atmosphere created by people who knew better.
October 20, 2012 10:13am
Pennsylvania resident Colin Small was arrested Thursday after he was caught illegally destroying voter registration forms in Virginia. Smalls worked for a firm hired by the Republican Party of Virginia to register voters, but was spotted throwing away 8 voter registration forms in a dumpster on Monday, the deadline for registering to vote in Virginia.
I find it interesting that this Company has been caught doing this in several States already. I also find it very interesting that it has always been done in Republican controlled States, and that they have been hired by the Republican Party in each of these States.
This is not a co-incidence, it is a very carefully PLANNED attack on the VOTERS in the United States of America, the Democracy, and the foundation if our Freedom.