Complaint Filed With Local Board of Elections

Signed Complaint Immediately Forwarded to State Board of Elections

Editor's Note: As promised, you can download a copy of the complaint by clicking here. The complaint is a basic legal document and contains only the minimum necessary to start the process. The two separate filling forms are attached along with a picture of the signs so that investigators can be sure identify the correct signs ordered. The documentation on the e-Lee Dispatch has clearly demonstrated that some person or persons had access to accurate information about the ordering of the sign. I have disclosed all that I believe it is important for me to disclose on this blog. While I have had several names repeated numerous times as to those responsible for approaching and recruiting Steve Thomas to sign the forms, none of those sources either would permit their names to be used or were relying on rumors. Answering that question is the one piece of this story that I do not expect to have reliably until Mr.Thomas's legal counsel will want to have those cards to deal during the investigation. I believe no one, except of course the conspirators, to have more information regarding this than I do. It seemed to make no sense for others who volunteered to sign the complaint to do so when their knowledge of the facts was substantially less than mine. In signing the complaint, I have done what I do not like to do, which is to put myself into the story. In an effort to be fair to other parties to the story, I elected to provide a copy of the complaint to the Sanford Herald and reluctantly agreed to an interview will Billy Liggett. I fully expected to have a response from Jamie Kelly that would do his best to cast the falsifying of forms to the board of elections, no matter who is responsible, as a political trick and characterize me as a political hack. As to a political vendetta against Kelly, I could have pursued this story with the kind of penetrating questions that would have added to those who call for his resignation. Quite to the contrary, the column the editors chose not to run today, yet held out hope that Kelly would be a contributing member of our community. Had I not voluntarily given this story to Liggett, you, as you have done so consistently throughout this unfolding story, would have been reading in more documented detail and careful analysis about it here rather than on the front page of the local paper. In return, Ligget's blog (click here) was annoying and inconsistent. This story has driven the readership of my blog to records even beyond those when Jim McCormick resigned and readers found a far more measured and informed reporting of his departure here. By announcing in this editor's note that the e-Lee Dispatch is turning its attention to other important political and governmental issues, readership is likely to return to its normal, but thanks to you, creditable numbers. That is hardly sticking with what is working as LIggett suggests.