Civil rights activists file lawsuit and demand Attorney General investigate ACRI voter fraud

BAMN E-MAIL - 6/30/2008

Former Phoenix City Councilman Calvin C. Goode, defrauded Latina/o and black Arizona citizens, and the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) will file suit in state court Monday morning to stop the fraudulent "Arizona Civil Rights Initiative" (ACRI) from getting on the ballot.
They will also file a formal complaint with Governor Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard calling on them to hold a public hearing and investigate the ACRI campaign and its petition companies' racially-targeted voter fraud and the criminal violations of Arizona election law that occurred during the ACRI’s petition campaign.
BAMN will also submit dozens of notarized affidavits by voters asking that their names be removed from the ACRI’s petition.
"Tens of thousands of Latina/o, black, and Native American citizens of Arizona were defrauded and led to believe that by signing the 'American Civil Rights Initiative' (ACRI) they were banning racial discrimination and advancing the dreams of their children to have a better future," said Shanta Driver, National Chair of BAMN and an attorney. "They are angry that the ACRI stole their signatures as support for a petition whose sole aim is to eliminate affirmative action, which is the only way that their children will have an equal chance for a future. The duly elected public officials of Arizona have a duty to protect them, their children, all the citizens of Arizona, and democratic norms from systematic, racially-targeted voter fraud."
In only a short period of time, BAMN has uncovered extensive evidence of other systematic violations of Arizona’s election law. Whistleblowers who once circulated the ACRI petition and oither witnesses have verified that the ACRI targeted homeless shelters to recruit minority circulators to facilitate ACRI's deception, offered poor voters food or money to sign the ACRI, forged signatures, and illegally used out-of-state residents, felons, and underage people as petition circulators.
"We also call on the governor and attorney general to take up the investigation of ACRI because we cannot trust County Attorney Andrew Thomas, chairman of the ACRI campaign, to investigate his own operation," said Driver. "The whistleblowers who are coming forward need to be assured that they will be protected after standing up and telling the truth."
Go to the FRAUD FINDER WEBSITE to see some of the growing evidence of ACRI's fraudulent practices.
Media Information Page: http://www.bamn.com/stopacri/mediaFraud Finder Website: http://www.bamn.com/stopacri/fraudfinder.asp