MoveOn: Phony Republican Election Charges

Press Release: Statement by Eli Pariser of MoveOn PAC On Phony Republican Election Charges
This election day is going smoothly. There is record turnout, people are lined up patiently. Over 70,000 MoveOn volunteers are out there getting people to the polls, along with those from many other organizations.

A record turnout is bad news for the Republican Party, so they are trying to suppress it by spreading false charges of illegal activity at the polls. Their hope is that the broadcast of these charges today will keep voters away by depicting the polls as full of chaotic and illegal activity.

The other purpose of the false charges that Republican officials have made against MoveOn volunteers is to create a false and distorted record to assist them in any legal challenge they may mount in states with narrow margins of victory for John Kerry.

Make no mistake – this is clearly a pre-meditated, planned, orchestrated attempt by the Republican Party. They have now made these charges today from state parties in at least 5 states, including New Hampshire, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado and Michigan.

Of course MoveOn volunteers went to civics class and know that you can’t electioneer near the polls. And of course MoveOn knows such a move would totally backfire against us. We categorically deny these charges. Our instructions to our volunteers were vetted by our lawyers. And we don’t believe in such tactics. This is a smear campaign against us. It’s the Swift Boat veterans smear story of November 2nd. Its purpose is clear and false. The public won’t be fooled.