Arrests Have Followed A Lengthy Probe Into Over 500 Complaints

Santa Ana (CNS)  -- A Democratic Party official said Sunday that the Orange County district attorney's office planned to hold a news conference Monday morning to detail arrests in a voter registration fraud scheme in which Democrats were switched to Republicans without their consent.

A spokesperson with the district attorney's office today would not confirm or deny plans for a 10 a.m. news conference with District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.

Mike Levin, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Orange County, says Rackauckas' office told him there would be a 10 a.m. news briefing Monday with California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson and Chairman Scott Baugh of the Orange County Republican Party.

Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro issued a statement, commending the arrests, which followed a lengthy probe into some 500 verified complaints of voter registration fraud filed in the last seven months by the Democratic Party.

Barbaro will not attend the conference due to a scheduling conflict.

He will be testifying at a hearing to address a letter received by 14,000 Latino voters in Orange County, allegedly aimed at intimidating them into not voting.

According to The Los Angeles Times, 11 people have been charged in the scheme, but the district attorney's office will not release any information about the charges.

Those charged were paid as much as $10 for each voter they registered as part of the Republican Party, the newspaper reported.

``After many months of waiting for action, it is encouraging to see that District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has filed charges relating to over 500 verified complaints of voter registration fraud filed by the Democratic Party,'' Barbaro said in a statement today. ``It is also encouraging that Republican Party officials and their candidates will join District Attorney Rackauckas on Monday to hear details of these arrests. Hopefully, this is a clear sign that both parties fully support the integrity of our voting processes in Orange County.''

Levin alleged that the voters affected were signed up by ``bounty hunters'' paid by the local Republican Party for each new Republican voter they sign up.

Levin said the Democratic Party does not use paid signature gatherers, who approach people outside supermarkets and other public places.

The victims ``were told to sign something, and the next thing they knew, they were getting Republican material in the mail,'' Levin said.

Erik Weigand, executive director of the Republican Party of Orange County, responded on Friday by reading a statement from the party's chair, Scott Baugh.

``The Republican Party of Orange County supports the district attorney's efforts in prosecuting those who illegally registered voters,'' Baugh said. ``We encourage the vigorous prosecution and punishment of anyone who illegally registers a voter, for any party, without their consent.''

Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley acknowledged that his office was actively involved in the investigation into party switching in a news release issued on May 24.

He said then that his office was working with the district attorney, the state Attorney General's Office and the Secretary of State's Office.

Desiree Funsch, 28, of Anaheim, said she was registered to vote as a ``decline to state.''

Last November, she signed a petition regarding universal health care outside a supermarket.

Later she got a notice mailed to a Desiree Funso, acknowledging her registration as a Republican, she said in a telephone interview.

``They forged my information onto a registration form,'' Funsch said.

Those responsible probably could not read her writing and misspelled her name, she said.

She reported it to Kelley last December and was contract by the district attorney, and asked to put the information into a letter, which she said she did.