U.S. Department of Justice

Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez
United States Attorney
District of Puerto Rico

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                Contacts: U.S. Attorney’s Office
Date: OCTOBER 30, 2008                                                                                                        Lymarie Llovet-Ayala
                                                                                                                                          Public Affairs Specialist
                                                                                                                                          787- 282-1820; 787-340-1835

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY CREATES TASK FORCE FOR NOVEMBER 4, 2008 ELECTION

United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney José Ruiz-Santiago, Chief, Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernesto López-Soltero, the District’s Election Officer, will lead the efforts of an eight (8) member task force of federal prosecutors in the connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2008 general elections. AUSA López-Soltero, who serves as the District Election Officer for the District of Puerto Rico, along with AUSA Ruiz- Santiago, and a team of six (6) Assistant U.S. Attorneys, will be responsible for the oversight the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with United States Justice Department Headquarters.

On October 8, 2002 , Attorney General Ashcroft established a Department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative are to increase the Department’s ability to deter voter intimidation, suppression, discrimination and election fraud and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur - to make voting easier and cheating harder. Both goals are equally important. It is imperative that in pursuing voter integrity, ballot access is not in any way diminished or harmed. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers the goals of the Initiative. The Program also is intended to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department where the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it, while those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2008, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, USA Rodríguez-Vélez stated that Assistant United States Attorney/DEO López-Soltero, supervised by AUSA Ruiz-Santiago, Chief, Criminal Division, and a team of six (6) additional prosecutors: Antonio Bazán, Miguel A. Fernández, Jeanette Mercado, José Pizarro, Timothy Henwood and José Capó Iriarte, will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (787) 365-2032, (787) 340-1755, (787) 409-7561, (787) 672-8193 and (787) 340-1719.

The FBI will also have Special Agents available in its San Juan field office in this District to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at (787) 754-6000.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. Where voter intimidation or suppression tactics target voters on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin, please contact the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section at 202-514-3204.

United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez said, “We will not tolerate any fraud or irregularity in the electoral process. Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute the worth of votes honestly cast. They also corrupt the essence of our democratic form of government. As crimes against both the individual and the government, they will be dealt with promptly and aggressively. Anyone who has information suggesting electoral corruption or voting rights abuses should make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

Luis Fraticelli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-San Juan Field Office said, “The FBI’s role in the event of election fraud and other election abuses will focus on the investigation of those individuals who commit these crimes, without interfering in any way with the electoral process itself. FBI agents will not enter the polls in an official capacity nor conduct any investigation inside any polling facilities, except in extenuating circumstances. The FBI can be reached by the public at (787) 754-6000, to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses on November 4, 2008 .”