Seven Gracedale Circulators Engaged in Voter Fraud

My challenge to the Gracedale Initiative has little to do with actual signatures, but instead is focused on the people who circulated the petitions. Two Gracedale employees, one of them the AFSCME union president, were forced to admit they had sworn out 38 false affidavits, claiming to have circulated petitions that were actually handled by others. Another, Mary Ann Schmoyer, admitted she'd pass out as many 15 petitions at one time in various bingo parlors and social clubs. Nonresidents employed by the union acted as circulators, as did one unregistered voter.

According to our Supreme Court, circulators must ascertain that each signatory (1) knows what he is signing; (2) correctly states his address; (3) lives in the County; (4) signs on the date indicated; and (5) is a registered voter. These requirements are imposed, not as mere technicalities, but to prevent election fraud and preserve the integrity of the election process.

Instead of preserving the integrity of the election process, Judge Baratta's decision rewards circulators who admit that 38 of their affidavits were false. He winks at Schmoyer, who might as well have been using those petitions as bingo cards.

Naturally, I appealed. It makes no difference to me that this upsets a group of mobocrats. But this is all old news. Why am I bringing it up now? Let me explain.

At the February 4 hearing, Voting Regstrar Dee Rumsey, who did look at the individual signatures, told Judge Baratta there were 1,173 duplicates. That seems unusually high to me. I could certainly understand that someone might sign a petition at the polls and sign again later, not realizing that he was only allowed to sign once or perhaps not even remembering he had already signed. But would that list also reveal some people who knew exactly what they were doing?

After the hearing was over, I asked Ms. Rumsey for permission to examine her list of duplicates, but she needed time to finish counting. I asked again a few days later, but her office was working on the ballot. Finally, on February 17, Ms. Rumsey told me she had spoken to her Solicitor and I would need to file a Right-to-Know-Law request. I filed one that very day.

I finally received the list yesterday (March 1). Guess what? It turns out Mary Ann Schmoyer, a member of Gracedale Petition Committee and the person who was playing Bingo with petitions, signed the initiative at least three times. Loretta Ann Mammana, another member of the Gang of Twelve, signed the petition at least twice. In fact, seven circulators signed the initiative petition at least twice.

How can these circulators preserve the integrity of the elections process when they themselves are engaged in election fraud?

Mary Ann Schmoyer circulated 47 of the 507 petitions submitted, having obtained 1,439 signatures. Would Judge Baratta still be winking at her had he known that she signed the Petition three times? Should any signatures be allowed from seven circulators who themselves engaged in election fraud?

Because my appeal divests Judge Baratta of jurisdiction, he has no power to modify his ruling. But I will ask the Commonwealth Court to supplement the record with this after-discovered evidence.