The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant is turning over the case of the Will Sessoms-Barack Obama fliers to a special prosecutor. Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney Earle Mobley will investigate and bring forward any charges, if required, Bryant said.
The fliers, showing Sessoms and Obama side-by-side, were distributed by Sessoms' campaign workers on election day, mostly to African-American voters. The fliers did not disclose who paid for them.
Sessoms ran for mayor and won. He said before the election that he supported John McCain for president, not Obama. After the election, Mayor Meyera Oberndorf's campaign filed a formal complaint about the fliers.
Sessoms said he did not know about the fliers and asked that they be pulled when he found out that his workers were giving them out. A consultant to Sessoms, Bruce Williams, has said he gave the fliers to poll workers to pass out. But Williams has said he doesn’t know who paid for the fliers.
Bryant said he asked for a special prosecutor because his office receives more than half its budget from the City Council and wanted to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.
Read more about this in tomorrow's Virginian-Pilot.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Re: Voting is not an inalienable right
You're right, david, voting is not an inalienable right, but thank goodness we have the freedom(and are granted the freedom)to do so without fear of repression, and/or oppression. You suggest there be some restrictions placed on voting...um, didn't that happen a while back(and) was based on skin color, race and gender? Are you implying we try that again? What sort of restrictions are you talking about? And what sort of "test" do you recommend? If I remember my history, tests were conducted some time ago as well. Your remarks strongly suggest we restrict certain people from voting...hmm, sounds a bit racist to me. I am glad we live in a country where we have the freedom to vote, regardless of our race, religious beliefs, skin color, nationality, heritage, gender, or age. Let's not give into the bigotry and hatered that once nearly tore our country apart simply because you want to have some sort of "test" or place "restrictions" on voting.
Genius
The flyers were a brilliant move. Taking advantage of the fact that 90% of African Americans voted for Obama. You hand them out to African Americans who will vote for him based solely on his standing next to Obama. It would have been even more impressive if they passed out flyers of him standing next to McCain on military bases.
What's the Difference
Tarfu, I am not sure what you mean, but I didn't vote for Obama based on his skin color, I voted for him because I like what he had to say and what he stands for. I didn't see the flyer in question, and agree it should be looked into. Would you be posting the same if McCain had won? I like the fact that change is coming to DC. It's about time! I, like other posters I've seen, am not afraid of change.
Voting is not an inalienable right
Check the Constitution but there is no right to vote. I think there should be some restrictions placed on voting, besides age. There should be some sort of test.
What's The Difference...
Voting for someone because they are on a flyer is no different then voting for someone based on the color of their skin.
This comment is awaiting staff approval.
Who said a law was broken? I just said it was a lame move, and gives the citizens of Virginia Beach a pretty horrible window into their future. That is all.
Huh?
Everybody keeps saying that a law was broken by the flyer...what law is it? As far as I can tell, anyone swayed by "any" flyer alone is a knucklehead! Sad; but, true...
Hmm
Okay 42... should voting be reserved for land owners only? Or perhaps an IQ test? Or do you think it should be only if you make a certain income level? Or how about if you actually pay taxes? *Shrug* there are a lot of ways you could define it, and in the end the politicians will all want it the way that keeps them in power. In the end, Voting is there to make people feel like they have sort of say, in which they usually don't.
To 42
You have totally missed the point here. It doesn't matter if even a single person's vote was swayed by the flier, the point is that whoever is responsible for the flyer broke the law. The Commonwealth's Attorney's office has an obligation to investigate.
Flier controversy
I was stupid enough to vote for someone -- not only because they were on a flier -- but because their name was on bumper stickers, lawn signs, TV commercials, various campaign material and ballots. Do I still deserve to vote?