Bd of Elections Chief Skeptical of Exposé – Will Investigate Investigators

Today’s article in the News and Observer is what we have come to expect from North Carolina’s Elections “Chief,” Gary Bartlett. Less than 24 hours after a video showcasing North Carolina’s non-existent election security and even before an investigation is launched by State officials, Bartlett  proclaimed “I think that when it’s all done, it’s not very credible.”

Project Veritas paid North Carolina a visit during this primary election to document elections processes including voter registration and voting.  Project Veritas is a 501 (c)3 organization formed by James O’Keefe, notable for exposing ACORN’s unethical and unlawful practices.  The Veritas investigators have been busy this election season exposing and documenting failed election processes in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Washington D.C. and Vermont where they demonstrated how easy it would be to access someone elses ballot without an identification requirement.  In North Carolina they also demonstrated the need for citizenship verification by showing how easy it is to register to vote by falsely claiming to be U.S. Citizens

In this article and in the same sentence Bartlett said our “laws are based on honesty and self-policing” and goes on to say that the work Project Veritas (to police the process) hurt the process.  Confusing – I know, if all we have is self-policing what are we to do?

Gary Bartlett, said his agency will investigate the claims in the video, saying it showed “a lot of things disturbing.”  He also said that they would investigate whether the people in the video “who tried to vote in the name of another violated state criminal law by impersonating a registered voter.”  O’Keefe and his investigators have heard this threat before, it is the standard  course of intimidation by the liberal left when Project Veritas uncovers embarrassing facts pointing to the appalling lack of security in ballot security and it comes as no surprise that Bartlett recites their talking points.  He has held his position as North Carolina’s “chief” election official since 1992, being appointed time and again by Governors Hunt, Easley and Perdue.

As you watch the video you will see that these young men never claimed to be someone else.  They choose their words carefully and never attempt to sign any document (although one pollworker in the video appears to want to physically force one of the investigators to sign a document).  In fact they never touch a ballot, always making the excuse that they need to go get their ID, while poll workers insist that an ID is not necessary.

The Project Veritas mission is to  “investigate and expose corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions in order to achieve a more ethical and transparent society.”  I think they are being extremely successful.  New Hampshire, Minnesota and Mississippi all cited Project Veritas when they worked to make their elections more secure.

If investigations that shine light on the elections process,  hurt the process,  as Gary Bartlett suggests, then maybe  it is because the process is already broken.