Cobb Sues Blackwell in Federal Court Over Ohio Recount.
COBB/LaMARCHE 2004
http://www.votecobb.org
December 2, 2004
Contact: Blair Bobier, Media Director at 541.929.5755
Green Party presidential candidate says
Republican Secretary of State is stalling.
Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb today
filed counterclaims in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Ohio against Republican Secretary of State Kenneth
Blackwell, asserting that Blackwell is stalling the Ohio recount and
abusing his authority. The counterclaims have been alleged in pending
litigation in federal court which originated in Delaware County, Ohio,
when that county's board of elections asked a local state court judge to
stop the recount in Delaware County. The state court judge issued a
temporary restraining order attempting to prevent Cobb, Libertarian
Michael Badnarik and their attorney's from seeking a recount of the
presidential ballots cast in that county.
On Tuesday, Cobb asked a federal court to take
jurisdiction in the case. The Kerry-Edwards campaign also moved to
intervene in the case in defense of Cobb and Badnarik's position.
The suit filed today by Cobb, Badnarik and the
National Voting Rights Institute alleges that Blackwell is abusing his
discretionary authority and is, in effect, stalling. The suit asks that
the recount begin immediately and be completed by the federally declared
"safe harbor" date of December 7 and by December 13, when the
presidential electors are scheduled to meet. The suit also demands that
Blackwell not declare the results of the election as official and final
and that the presidential electors not be certified until the recount
has been completed.
The legal documents and related information are
available on the campaign website, http://www.votecobb.org.
Information about the Green Party can be found at http://www.gp.org.
