Complaint to:
Robert Clark
Corrente
United States Attorney's Office - District of Rhode Island
50 Kennedy Plaza, 8th Floor
Providence, RI 02903
COMPLAINANTS
Wilbur W. Jennings Jr.,
David B. Talan,
In Regards to: Illegal Council Candidate & Voter Fraud in Providence Ward 8
COMPLAINT
& INFORMATION
(Request for Assistance)
Comes now Wilbur W. Jennings Jr., Chairman of the Providence
Eighth Ward Democratic Committee and David B. Talan, Chairman of the Providence
Eighth Ward Republican Committee who make the following complaint, jointly and
separately, both in their official capacity as Democratic and Republican ward
chairmen and as individual registered voters who hereby complain as
follows:
I. CANDIDATE IN 8TH WARD RACE
NOT QUALIFIED TO RUN
1. Residency in the 8th ward is a requirement to run for City Council there.
2. Providence
city council candidate Leon F. Tejada does not reside in the 8th
Ward, much less 66 Stadden Street.
In checking with the absentee owner of the house, the owner’s wife who
resides there, and neighbors there is no question that Tejada does not live
there. Yet in a neighborhood
meeting held only days ago, Tejada signed in using that address which is 66
Stadden Street.
3. Tejada has
claimed to be buying a house at Potter Drive, and when it was sold, even claimed
to live there to people who inquired.
Neighbors report that he does not, and a man with a different Spanish
surname bought the house and apparently does live there.
4. Tejada does
not give any other addresses in Ward 8, except for his campaign headquarters
which is empty and up for rent. We
have been told that he goes into the building where his “former” apartment at
5. Even Tejada’s web site does not give a street address or a
phone number, only a free email address at Yahoo. The site is at
http://www.leonforcouncil.org/.
II. PRIMARY ELECTION VOTER FRAUD – NO ACTION
BY STATE POLICE
6. During
the Primary, certain irregularities occurred in Ward 8. People were voting who did not live in
the ward, people were registered to vote from vacant buildings or simply did not
live where they were registered, but were from Ward 9. Specific particular instances, names and
addresses were brought up by witnesses, serious enough that the Rhode Island
Board of Elections took a vote and referred the matter to the Rhode Island State
Police. To date, none of the
witnesses were contacted, and no State Police Investigation has been
forthcoming. The house at 66
Stadden Street, where Tejada registered himself and his daughters to vote from,
but do not live there, is owned by a Rhode Island State Police officer.
III. UNUSUALLY HIGH
VOTER MIGRATION FROM WARD 9 TO WARD 8.
7. In addition to witnesses testifying at the Board of Elections who saw people voting by different names, and people known to live outside the ward but voting in ward 8, and people being paid to vote, and voting from empty apartments and buildings, there were at least 118 voters with Spanish surnames who allegedly migrated from Tejada's power base in the 9th ward to the 8th ward since Tejada announced for office in the 8th ward. This is an unusually high number, and combined with other testimony at the Board of Elections who voted to turn these matters over to the RI State Police, who have not acted on these matters, bears additional investigation.
WHEREFORE:
Complainants request the US Attorney and FBI investigate their complaint, and review if there are "predicate acts" for the purposes of RICO or other actionable offenses involved that are actionable by the US Attorney in the interests of justice.
Complainants request such action as the US Attorney finds just and meet to protect their rights and franchise to hold elections in the 8th ward of this Rhode Island Municipal Corporation called Providence, free from intimidation and fear of reprisal.
Complainants request that the US Attorney protect free elections and enforce election law, and/or take such steps as needed to ensure that a candidate must reside in the 8th Ward to run for office there, and if necessary compel state officials to take action and remove the unqualified candidate from the race.
Complainants request the US Attorney oversee the election in the 8th Ward to ensure there is not a repeat of the Primary results where disenfranchisement occurred in every precinct.
Complainants request the US Attorney have the FBI investigate all voters who allegedly migrated from the 9th to the 8th ward since Tejada announced for office, and that they be charged appropriately if they do not legitimately live in the 8th Ward.
Complainants request such other action as the US Attorney finds just and meet.
Signed and Dated this 1st of November,
2006
_________________________
__________________________
Wilbur W. Jennings Jr.
David B. Talan
115 Sinclair Avenue
25 Santiago Street