Washblog || Courageous Whistleblower Receives Backbone Award

Courageous Whistleblower Receives Backbone Award

By raincity calling
Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 10:55:49 AM PST
Section: Diary Topic: Democrats

[ED Note: Clint Curtis, a programmer who says he wrote a vote-rigging software prototype for Congressman Tom Feeney back in 2000, is now challenging Feeney for his seat. The picture to the left shows him testifying before US Congress. Curtis' campaign is bringing national publicity to the biggest story of our time that media is not covering: the equipment used to count our votes is inherently corruptible -- and there's good evidence that, indeed, there's been cheating. Curtis' appearance in Seattle is an opportunity for voting integrity activists to help build the momentum for this cause locally. Also see Paul Lehto's lawsuit, which is challenging the practice of proprietary software used for public voting.

Backbone Campaign is a national organization based in Washington that originated on Vashon Island. (Noemie)].

Clint Curtis, whistleblower and Florida Democratic Congressional candidate will receive the Backbone Campaign award for his courage in exposing the corruption of Republican U.S. Congressman Tom Feeney. (See Washblog sidebar for Aug 17 event.)

It is no secret that the current Administration and its allies must stay in power to keep waging war against the American people and foreign governments. The Republicans have successfully manipulated and stolen elections in 2000, 2002, and 2004, and they will do the same in 2006 and 2008 unless we stop them. Our window of opportunity to take back our country and to safeguard our elections is rapidly closing. The Help America Vote Act has institutionalized the mechanisms (paperless electronic voting equipment, equipment using secret software, and voter registration databases that are so strict that legal voters are kicked off the registration lists) that enable easy manipulation of elections. That is why we need to elect people like Clint Curtis this year, before the window of opportunity closes to elect honest and progressive people to Congress.

Clint Curtis is not afraid to speak truth to power or to stand up against those in power. Come meet Curtis and see for yourself. He has one hell of a story to tell about corruption, espionage, and the mysterious death of the government investigator investigating Curtis' claims.

Curtis will be in Seattle Thursday, August 17th, 7:00 p.m. at the Seattle Labor Temple to receive his Backbone Award and to raise funds for his Congressional Camp.

< Whatcom Democrats, Going To The Fair | My Brief Encounter of the Cantwell Kind >

Courageous Whistleblower Receives Backbone Award | 2 comments (2 topical)

Evidence, credibility -- in a marginalized cause

I looked into this case before frontpaging it, as Curtis' allegations are as far as I can see just that, allegations with no paper trail -- and the coverage in the media has been very light. One of the dangers in voting integrity activism, where there is so much evidence of fraud that the mainstream media and legal system will not even look at lies, I believe, in being too ready to assert fraud, too credulous.

Curtis' story checks out as credible to me, however. The Internet and press reports that do exist (I searched through Proquest, available on the King County Library System site) show he was a lifelong Republican with an "honest" career. His story is one that noone would be likely to invent. Feeney, on the other hand, well...

Here's a little bit about Feeney. In September of 2002, Florida's Commission on Ethics cleared Tom Feeney of conflict of interest in his role of steering state contracts to the company he had previously been a lobbyist for, Yang Enterprises (YA). YA had also paid Curtis to create the software he claimed was rigged.

Two weeks later, after the ethics hearing closed, the Daytona Beach News-Journal uncovered E-mails that showed that Feeney had indeed used his public influence to steer contracts to YA.

Feeney's history is one of a revolving door between lobbying for private industry and providing congressional support to his old friends. He is now the leader in trying to roll back a major law that holds corporations accountable for basic ethical behavior:

A June 23,2006 New York Times article entitled "Trusting Bosses Not to Cheat" details Feeney's lead role in trying to overturn Sarbanes-Oxley Act. which was passed with large bipartisan support in 2002 and which provides verification for ethical corporate behavior. Feeney's bill is H. R. 5405.

by noemie maxwell on Tue Aug 15, 2006 at 11:50:19 AM PST

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Curtis' Claims

Just a note. Curtis has taken and passed a lie detector test for each of his claims. He has asked Tom Feeney to take a lie detector test and Feeney refuses. Furthermore, Curtis has testified under oath before Congress. Curtis is just one of those people who believes in doing the right thing, no matter what the personal costs may be.

by raincity calling on Wed Aug 16, 2006 at 11:43:15 AM PST

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Courageous Whistleblower Receives Backbone Award | 2 comments (2 topical)

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