Virginia Authorities Investigating Potential Voter Fraud
AP
BY: Lachlan MarkayFollow @lachlan September 12, 2013 4:24 pm
Authorities in Virginia are investigating a potential voter fraud case involving former congressional candidate Jeffrey Barnett, an active member of the Democratic Party and supporter of gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.
According a letter from the state's office of elections obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, Riccardo and Vivian Bellucci voted in 2012 elections in Fairfax County, Va., even though they appeared to live in Annapolis, Md. at the time.
The Virginia address the Belluccis gave poll workers is the home of Jeffrey Barnett and his wife Katherine. Barnett ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, losing to incumbent Rep. Frank Wolf (R., Va.) by about 28 points.
Barnett staked out numerous left-wing positions during the campaign. He supportedObamacare, the 2009 stimulus bill, cap-and-trade, a carbon tax, the Employee Free Choice Act, and tax hikes on higher income brackets.
He is currently a member of the 10th Congressional District Democratic Committee, and has supported McAuliffe in his bid for Virginia governor.
Barnett did not respond to multiple requests for comment on his relationship with the Belluccis.
Based on "a cursory public records search" it seems "the Belluccis were no longer residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia when they voted in November 2012," Cameron Quinn, general registrar of Fairfax County's Office of Elections, wrote in her Aug. 14 letter.
Information gathered by the office of elections "appears to show voter registration fraud," Quinn wrote.
A spokesman for the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney, to whom the letter was sent, would not comment on an ongoing investigation, but said that potential criminal cases are generally referred to state law enforcement authorities for investigation.
When the Belluccis showed up to vote in November, an election officer, Virginia Norton, challenged their Virginia residency, saying she personally knew that they had moved to Annapolis, Md.
The couple said they were "homeless" at the time, according to a letter Norton sent to her state delegate, and living in a guesthouse at 1135 Basil Road in McLean, Va., a property owned by Jeffrey Barnett since 1999, according to state records.
Patricia Redmann, another election officer, said that the property does not have a guesthouse. Property records, including an aerial view of the plot, support that contention.
According to a third election officer, Louise Epstein, Vivian Bellucci's Facebook page listed Annapolis as her home on Election Day.
The Belluccis lived down the street from the Barnetts until April 2012, when they sold their home at 1144 Basil Road.
Deeds on file with the Anne Arundel County, Md., clerk show that the Belluccis own two properties in Annapolis. One was purchased in 2002, and is not listed as their primary residence.
They purchased another Annapolis property at 912 Coachway Road on Sept. 24, 2012. That property is listed as their primacy residence.
A newsletter for Annapolis residents published in October 2012 lists the Belluccis as "new members who have joined during the past month."
Voter registration fraud has been an issue of concern in Virginia since the 2012 elections. The state attorney general's office announced in April that it was investigating "several possible cases of duplicate voting" in the state.
Election fraud in Virginia is a class 5 felony, punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.
Virginia Authorities Investigating Potential Voter Fraud
http://freebeacon.com/virginia-authorities-investigating-potential-voter-fraud/
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