Guess the political party involved...

[SuperScout]

Appalachia raid results in 'thousands' of seized documents

APPALACHIA - Virginia State Police investigators and a pair of special prosecutors netted a mountain of paperwork to plow through as a result of Monday's execution of search warrants in the ongoing election fraud probe in Appalachia.

Documents of all sorts were part of a mountain of evidentiary materials seized Monday at Appalachia Town Hall, the Appalachia Police Department, and homes of Mayor/Town Manager Ben Cooper, acting Police Chief Ben Serber, and Town Councilman Owen Anderson "Andy" Sharrett III.

The three town officials were to have provided DNA evidence as well. DNA testing is being conducted on one or more envelopes used to mail absentee ballots during the 2004 town elections. Others targeted - included providing DNA evidence - during Monday's rounds by 16 Virginia State Police investigators and a number of uniformed troopers include Sharrett's father, Owen Anderson "Dude" Sharrett Jr.; his brother, Adam Brody Sharrett; his mother, Belinda Sharrett; and his aunt, Betty Bolling.

The Sharrett's share a common residence, and a search warrant was executed at Bolling's residence.

Election fraud allegations include tampering with absentee ballots and attempts at vote-buying using beer, cigarettes and packages of pork rinds as bait.

On Tuesday lead Special Prosecutor Tim McAfee said Monday's series of evidence-gathering raids on town offices and four separate residences was "very productive" that provided investigators with a "lot of evidence. If you count each piece of paper, each document, there are over a thousand items easily. Easily. For example, we seized one briefcase, but it contains a number of documents, papers and other items. And we seized thousands of pages of documents from Town Hall."

Personal computers were also seized from the homes of Cooper, Serber and Sharrett, McAfee said. He is being assisted in the case by Norton attorney Greg Stewart serving as assistant special prosecutor.

"We're looking for things that show associations. We're looking for things, and we've found some things, that relate to the (alleged) election fraud. We've got handwriting samples now and we can compare them to some of the (allegedly) forged documents, in this case the absentee ballots and ballot applications, too," McAfee said.

There were 133 absentee ballots cast in the 2004 town elections. McAfee said that was about three times the usual number of absentee ballots generated in Appalachia during a typical town election year.

McAfee said the prosecution team hopes to wrap the current phase of the investigation by the end of February, but isn't going to stifle flexibility by establishing deadlines.

"We've got a target date to try to be through at least this part of the investigation by the end of February. I wouldn't want to commit myself that we will definitely do something at the end of February. We may have to wait beyond that. We'll see. I don't know, but hopefully we will be in a position to submit a report (in about four weeks) to someone about what we've been doing," he said.

[Advisor]

It's Dubya's fault dontcha know.

[colmurph]

Obviously they must be Republicans. Democrats wouldn't stoop so low now would they?

[SuperScout]

Las week, there was a little Mexican boy, sitting by the side of the road, crying his eyes out. The local deputy sheriff stops his patrol car, and tries to comfort the lad.

"Pepito, why are you crying? Is it because we're going to celebrate Texas Independence Day on March 2nd?"

"No, senor ees not the reason."

Is it because we're going to vote in an election today, and you're crying because you're too young to vote?"

"No, senor ees not the reason."

"Then why are you crying, Pepito?

"Because, last week my father came back to vote early in the election, and he didn't stop by to say hello to me!"

"But, Pepito," said the deputy, "Your father has been dead for ten years!"

"I know, answered Pepito, "but he still voted!"