Michigan attorney general charges ACORN worker with forgery
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
detnews.com
Michigan Atty. Gen. Mike Cox on Tuesday charged a former ACORN worker with forgery in connection with voter registration applications he submitted in the city of Jackson.
Antonio Johnson, 23, a convicted felon who is currently being held in Jackson County on a parole violation, is charged with six counts of forging a public document and faces up to 14 years on each count, Cox said in a news release.
Johnson was working for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now between May and June of this year when he filled out, signed and submitted six voter registration applications, using two Jackson residents' names, without their knowledge, Cox said.
"This is an obvious case of forgery and that is why I am taking action today," said Cox. "This office will not stand by while criminals interfere with the voting rights of Michigan citizens."
The charges come amid widespread complaints in Michigan and around the country about large numbers of duplicate or questionable voter registration applications sent in by ACORN, which has helped to register about 200,000 voters in Michigan and 1.3 million across the country.
Democrats have accused Republicans of raising fears about potential voter fraud in an attempt to deter turnout.
David Lagstein, ACORN's head organizer in Michigan, said his group will cooperate with the investigation.
ACORN does not vet its workers for criminal records, he said.
"At the end of this cycle, we're going to have a full evaluation of the process for our program," he said. |
