Former Congressman Dan Hamburg Arrested for Attempting to Deliver Letter to Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell: Picketing at Governor's Office!!!

Former Congressman Dan Hamburg arrested
for attempting to Deliver Letter to
Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell





Picket Thursday, 12/9/04 11am-5pm at the Governor's office 77 S. High St.





On Wed. Dec. 8th Former Congressman Dan Hamburg and his wife Carrie were arrested at 12 noon in Columbus, Ohio, while trying to deliver a letter to Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell. During the press conference (see PR below) Dan and Carrie entered the lobby of the private Borden building at 180 East Broad Street, where Mr. Blackwell's publicly funded office is on the 16th floor.



Ohio News Network Coverage



The Hamburgs had a letter from the US House Judiciary Committee addressed to Mr. Blackwell asking 34 questions about the Ohio election irregularities. Mr. Blackwell was invited to answer these questions at a hearing at 10 am yesterday morning. He was also invited to discuss these irregularities on WOSU-AM's Open Line with Fred Andrle at 11 AM in Columbus. Mr. Blackwell was a no show at both, so we invited him to our press conference outside his office.



Because they were attempting to deliver the letter and a personal invitation to our press conference Dan and Carrie were arrested for trespass. This happened at the same time of the hearing going on in Washington, D.C.



At the hearing yesterday, new instances of fraud regarding machine voting and voter suppression were detailed that Mr. Blackwell has not answered. The hearing will now be moved to Ohio to gather more evidence.



After Dan and Carrie Hamburg were arrested, Warren Linney, Chairman of BroadLink Communications, entered the lobby to deliver the same letter to Secretary Blackwell. He was told by the Building Manager, who would not disclose her name, to leave or be arrested. She said, “Secretary Blackwell’s office does not want you here.” Mr. Linney said that he didn’t need to see Mr. Blackwell but only wanted to deliver the Congress’s letter to his public office. Mr. Linney was again threatened with arrest for trying to deliver Congress’s request to answer questions about voting irregularities. A police officer asked the Building Manager to identify herself and she gave her name as Debra Snell. She offered to deliver the letter personally to Secretary Blackwell, so Mr. Linney gave her the letter. Mr. Linney then asked her if she worked for Mr. Blackwell since she was trying to keep the public away from his office and she declined to answer.



On Thursday, Dec. 9th, 11am until 5pm we will picket the Governor's office, 77 South High Street, to demand Dan and Carrie's release and that the Ohio Electors not vote until the recount is finished. We will demand the removal of Mr. Blackwell as Secretary of State for delaying the recount and creating a legal limbo for the Ohio election results. Mr. Blackwell is the real criminal for suppressing the Black and Student vote in Ohio, which is a felony according to Ohio state law, civil rights law and the U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment.



The Governor is accountable for the conduct of the election in his state and will bear responsibility if there is not a fair recount. He should remove Mr. Blackwell, who is not doing his duty to be impartial in overseeing the election and recount and not responding to the U.S. Congress.



Bring signs, noisemakers, drums; post this notice on lists; and spread the word.