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 For Immediate Release
Nov 14, 2000 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


FLORIDA COUNTIES RESPOND TO JUDICIAL WATCH AND PERMIT INSPECTION OF PRESIDENTIAL BALLOTS

Candidates To Be Notified Of Judicial Watch’s Actions

Non-Partisan Group To Count Disputed Ballots

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the non-partisan public-interest watchdog that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, has announced today that it will inspect disputed Presidential ballots, statewide, in Florida. Over the last several days, it has been apparent that many of the legal and administrative decisions in Florida are being made on the basis of partisan politics. The issue of course is whether a count of the votes cast for President will favor Vice President Al Gore or Governor George W. Bush. The two sides differ on how the ballots should be counted, and an important sub-issue is whether ballots were tampered with or improperly designed. Accordingly, because partisan Democrats and Republicans cannot be trusted, Judicial Watch has, under Florida statute § 119.07, requested access by law to these ballots. When such access is requested, the statute also provides at subsection (1)(c):
    When ballots are produced under this section for inspection or examination, no persons other than the supervisor of elections or the supervisor’s employees shall touch the ballots. The supervisor of elections shall make a reasonable effort to notify all candidates by telephone or otherwise of the time and place of the inspection or examination. All such candidates, or their representatives, shall be allowed to be present during the inspection or examination.

Judicial Watch is making arrangements to begin inspection of the ballots beginning as soon as possible. For those counties which do not comply, lawsuits will be filed. Thus far, Miami-Dade and several other counties have responded affirmatively.

“What we are now witnessing is evidence of the near total breakdown of our legal system along partisan lines. Unfortunately, for Judicial Watch this comes as no surprise, and is one of the reasons why the public-interest law firm was founded in 1994. From the U.S. Justice Department, to the Attorney General of Florida, to federal and state judges and prosecutors, there are few government officials in this country willing to make decisions on the merits in political cases. That is why Judicial Watch is so important; to protect the rights of the citizens against the manipulations and lawlessness of the politicians,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.

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