Workers who left in ballot flap join Bush
By TERRY WOSTER and DAVID KRANZ
Argus Leader
published: 10/15/2004
Larry Russell, 3 others move to Ohio campaign
South Dakota campaign official who resigned after questions arose over absentee-ballot applications will work in Ohio for the Bush-Cheney campaign, an internal Republican Party memo indicates.
Larry Russell, who was chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party's get-out-the-vote operation, resigned this week after questions were raised about the validity of some of the 1,400 absentee-ballot applications gathered, largely on college campuses, by the program Russell led.
Students on campuses in Brookings, Vermillion, Yankton and Spearfish have questioned the absentee-ballot application process, saying young men obtained their applications, but the notarization of the documents carried the signature of a woman.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation has been interviewing several people about the matter. No charges have been filed as a result of the probe, which Attorney General Larry Long on Thursday would only say "is continuing."
When South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Randy Frederick announced the resignations of Russell and five others Monday evening, he said the state party has a "zero-tolerance policy."
But an internal Republican Party memo obtained by the Argus Leader said Russell would be going to Cleveland "to lead the ground operations" for President Bush and Vice President Cheney there.
Ohio is a swing state considered vital to a successful presidential victory. Attempts to contact Bush-Cheney campaign officials in Cleveland were unsuccessful.
The memo was e-mailed to Republican staffers and officials Sunday evening by the state party's Executive Director Jason Glodt. Three other GOP workers who resigned over the application fracas also will be involved in the Ohio campaign, according to the memo.
"Todd Schleckeway, Nathan Mertz and Eric Fahrendorf have also been recruited to Ohio to work with Larry on the President's campaign," the e-mail stated.
Russell's work praised
The state Republican Party accepted the resignations of Russell, another GOP staffer and four contract workers after the questions were raised about absentee-ballot applications. Those who resigned were involved in Republican Victory campaign, a get-out-the-vote effort.
Glodt confirmed Thursday that the memo is authentic, but he said he'd prefer not to comment on an internal communication.
In the memo, Glodt praises Russell's work in South Dakota.
"Larry has done an excellent job building our organization in South Dakota and he is confident we can get the job done in the next 23 days," he wrote.
Fahrendorf was a party employee. Schleckeway and Mertz were independent contractors working on the get-out-the-vote operation. Independent contractors Joe Alick and Rachel M. Hoff, whose notary seal and signature are on some of the questioned applications, also resigned but were not mentioned in the memo.
Well, I knew that today the elections started in Florida, but again with problems? Just weird.
