Election Fraud

The election fraud trial of long-time political consultant Julius Henson is set for Monday at 2 p.m. in Baltimore Circuit Court.  Henson, 62, of East Baltimore, is accused of election fraud, conspiracy to violation election laws and failure to provide a campaign authority line on an Election Day 2010 robocall he created as a consultant for former Gov.Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. The robocall, sent to thousands of voters as Democratic Gov. Martin...

Maryland's second-highest court upheld on Monday political consultant Julius Henson's conspiracy conviction in a robocall scheme that prosecutors said was designed to suppress black votes. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals reaffirmed the conviction, writing that the case "presents us with a sad tale. " A judge wrote that Henson "and his collaborators callously attempted to manipulate members of the electorate. " Henson, 64, was found guilty in May 2012 of conspiracy to violate election law by not including an authority line from a robocall used as part of the campaign to elect Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Erhlich lost the election to incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat.

The election fraud trial of veteran political consultant Julius Henson has been postponed again due to scheduling conflicts. A hearing on preliminary motions in the case, which centers on an Election Day 2010 robocall, is now scheduled for April 10 with the trial expected to start on April 30. The case was postponed earlier this month because of the illness of a state investigator. Henson, 62, faces two counts of conspiracy to violate election laws, one count of election fraud and one count of failing to include a campaign authority line on the call.

Election fraud strikes at the heart of our political system and threatens our freedom. When fraudulent votes cancel out legal votes, our rights as citizens are diminished. Free and fair elections are our American birthright, and citizen initiatives to safeguard voter integrity are a welcome development, supporting and supplementing the work of boards of elections across the country. In a state such as Maryland, where voter ID is not required, the administration of polls is critical to the success of an election that is free of irregularities.

A Baltimore jury Tuesday found Paul Schurick, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s campaign manager, guilty of fraud and related charges for his role in an Election Day 2010 robocall - a decision hailed by government watchdog groups who say that for too long dirty tricks have tainted Maryland politics. The robocall, sent to thousands of voters as Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley swept to a re-election victory, was designed to suppress black votes by telling recipients to "relax" and assuring them that O'Malley had been successful even though the polls had not yet closed, the jury found.

Political consultant Julius Henson's attorney used a stack of fake oversized money, invoked slavery and called prosecutors' election fraud case against his client a "bunch of bull-honky" during his closing argument Wednesday afternoon. Using props, charts and a blend of humor and outrage, Edward Smith Jr. talked to the jury for an hour, shifting his style between folksy and erudite. He quoted lyrics from the song "Backstabbers" by the O'Jays, showed jurors a photo of what he called a "twisted" man meant to represent the prosecution, and recommended that the deputy state prosecutor "just walk out the door right now" rather than present his arguments.

They just wanted to protect the sanctity of the vote. That's the Bush administration's pious explanation for firing eight U.S. attorneys who were Republican enough for President Bush to have appointed them in the first place. "The president recalls hearing complaints about election fraud not being vigorously prosecuted and believes he may have informally mentioned it to the attorney general," explained White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. How could you question such a laudable goal? Of course, the justifications keep shifting, as with the Iraqi war. First it was the general performance of the prosecutors.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson last night headlined a panel that encouraged people to battle voter fraud and disenfranchisement by casting early ballots and registering multiple times to vote. Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and a presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988, was joined by investigative journalist Greg Palast and author Jonathan Simon at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The discussion was moderated by radio host Marc Steiner. All panelists criticized what they said were rigged presidential elections in 2000 and 2004.

After about eight hours of deliberations Thursday, the Baltimore Circuit Court jury considering the fate of political consultant Julius Henson went home for a second day without reaching a verdict. Henson, 63, of East Baltimore, faces charges of election fraud, conspiracy and failure to include a campaign authority line on an automated call he orchestrated on Election Day 2010. Prosecutors say Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s campaign used the call in an attempt to suppress black votes.

DIGOS, Philippines -- As a presidential race tainted by violence and chicanery draws to a close, Vice President Joseph "Erap" Estrada is the man of the people to beat Monday.From a field of 10 1/2 candidates -- former first lady Imelda Marcos was in the race, dropped out and now is half-heartedly back in -- Filipino voters seem ready to elect a controversial former B-movie actor to navigate their country through the Asian financial turmoil and into the 21st century.Estrada's detractors scorn the 61-year-old, who has a seemingly insurmountable lead in the polls.

Julius Henson, the former political consultant sentenced to 60 days in jail last month for writing a 2010 Election Day robocall that prosecutors said was designed to suppress black votes, has requested his immediate release so that he can visit his elderly mother before she dies. Henson's attorney, Edward Smith Jr., was advised Monday night that Mary Henson had been admitted to the critical care unit of Good Samaritan Hospital in New York, where she was forced to move to live with her daughter after her son, whom she'd previously lived with, was incarcerated, according to court documents.

Political consultant Julius Henson, who wrote the 2010 Election Day robocall that prosecutors said was designed to suppress black votes, was led from a Baltimore courthouse in handcuffs Wednesday after being sentenced to 60 days in jail. Baltimore Circuit Judge Emanuel Brown also ordered Henson, 63, to complete 300 hours of community service. Brown announced his sentence after listening to Henson cast himself as a victim in his final remarks to the court. "The state has a problem with the First Amendment.

Political consultant Julius Henson must pay the state $1 million for putting out 112,000 robocalls intended to discourage black voters from going to the polls on Election Day 2010, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. "Voter suppression in Maryland will not be tolerated," Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said in a statement. "The court's opinion and damages award will hopefully make political consultants think twice before using these types of illegal dirty tricks again. " Henson violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act with the "express purpose of suppressing the votes of a minority group in a contested statewide gubernatorial election," U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake wrote in a 13-page memorandum.

Political consultant Julius Henson deserved to be held to account for his role in producing a fraudulent robocall on the night of the 2010 gubernatorial election that was clearly designed to prevent Democrats - and in particular, African-American voters - from going to the polls. It is disappointing, though, that the jury rendered a mixed verdict in the case, convicting him on just one count of conspiracy but finding him not guilty on three other charges. A separate jury last year convicted Paul Schurick, the former aide to Gov.Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Mr. Henson's employer in that election, on all four counts for the same offense.

After about eight hours of deliberations Thursday, the Baltimore Circuit Court jury considering the fate of political consultant Julius Henson went home for a second day without reaching a verdict. Henson, 63, of East Baltimore, faces charges of election fraud, conspiracy and failure to include a campaign authority line on an automated call he orchestrated on Election Day 2010. Prosecutors say Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s campaign used the call in an attempt to suppress black votes.

Political consultant Julius Henson's attorney used a stack of fake oversized money, invoked slavery and called prosecutors' election fraud case against his client a "bunch of bull-honky" during his closing argument Wednesday afternoon. Using props, charts and a blend of humor and outrage, Edward Smith Jr. talked to the jury for an hour, shifting his style between folksy and erudite. He quoted lyrics from the song "Backstabbers" by the O'Jays, showed jurors a photo of what he called a "twisted" man meant to represent the prosecution, and recommended that the deputy state prosecutor "just walk out the door right now" rather than present his arguments.

Maryland's second-highest court upheld on Monday political consultant Julius Henson's conspiracy conviction in a robocall scheme that prosecutors said was designed to suppress black votes. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals reaffirmed the conviction, writing that the case "presents us with a sad tale. " A judge wrote that Henson "and his collaborators callously attempted to manipulate members of the electorate. " Henson, 64, was found guilty in May 2012 of conspiracy to violate election law by not including an authority line from a robocall used as part of the campaign to elect Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Erhlich lost the election to incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat.

POLLS IN MARYLAND BUSIEST TIMES: Morning, lunchtime and late in the day. FOR PROBLEMS: Contact local election offices. The U.S. attorney's office also will maintain a hot line for election fraud or voting rights abuses at 410-209-4800 and 443-677-9014. RESULTS ONLINE Go to Baltimoresun.com for a live feed of Election Night numbers with nationwide and statewide results, breaking news from The Sun and graphics showing in real time the developing electorial map and makeup of Congress.

It is ironic that The Sun titled its editorial on voter ID laws "The phantom menace" (Feb. 27). The "Phantom Menace" in the Star Wars trilogy actually refers to a dark force in politics that hides in plain sight pretending to be a public servant. Similarly, the Brennan Center for Justice cited in your editorial claims to be a nonpartisan organization in service of the public good, but it actually takes positions against laws that would prevent fraud in elections. The Brennan Center's outrageous statistics about the number of voters without identification have been discredited by former Federal Elections Commission member Hans von Spakovsky, an election law scholar.

The election fraud trial of veteran political consultant Julius Henson has been postponed again due to scheduling conflicts. A hearing on preliminary motions in the case, which centers on an Election Day 2010 robocall, is now scheduled for April 10 with the trial expected to start on April 30. The case was postponed earlier this month because of the illness of a state investigator. Henson, 62, faces two counts of conspiracy to violate election laws, one count of election fraud and one count of failing to include a campaign authority line on the call.