Voter Fraud Gets a Thumbs Up in Morgan County by Brunner

in Morgan County by Brunner

For Immediate Release:

By Paddy Shaffer

Director, The Ohio Election Justice Campaign

October 28, 2008

In one of the “rare documented cases of voter fraud,” committed by Richard Welch the Republican Morgan County Prosecutor, Ohio Secretary of State (SOS) Jennifer Brunner voted against the members of her own party, board members Mary Anna Wallace and Azcal Wilson, and for the Republican.  The issue here is whether the attorney who is the Morgan County Prosecutor, who has lived outside of Morgan County for the past six years, can continue to vote in that county.  Welch has lived south of Morgan County, down along the Ohio River in the town of Belpre.  Welch is in the military, and has had not personally been physically in the prosecutors office much in the last six year.  He has maintained the prosecutor title, and continued to have himself and his wife vote in Morgan County, he has continued to run for office, and hold office.  All while actually having his wife and himself live in Washington County. 

Welch did claim to spend one night, on September 1, 2008 in the house.  He also at his September 2, 2008 hearing claimed that he was unable to live in the house because of the large amount of pigeon poop all over it.  His attorney assisted Welch providing pictures of the numerous white poop spots, and they had a vivid description.  Brunner wrote that Welch’s wife is splitting her time between the two homes, but the locals disagree.

The McConnellesville home in Morgan County has not even had running water in the past six years, and is zoned as an office, not a residence.  Both Democratic Board Members of the Morgan County Board of Elections ruled in January 2008, and then again on September 29, 2008 that Welch is not a resident of their community. 

Legal counsel for the Secretary of State in Morgan County is Brian Shinn.  In her ruling issued today, http://electiondefensealliance.org/files/Welch_Morgan_County_102808.pdf

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