Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Mob Linked Chicago Alderman Bernard Stone's Precinct Captain Charged With Vote Fraud

Mob linked Chicago Alderman Bernie Stone is in the news to the goodness of one of his precinct captains.The Chicago Sun-Times reports:
A ward superintendent handpicked by the City Council’s 80-year-old elder statesman, Ald. Bernard Stone (50th), was arrested Monday and charged--along with another man--with improperly steering primarily Indian and Pakistani voters toward absentee ballots for Stone.

Anish Eapen, a 37-year-old employee of the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, faces two counts of official misconduct, three counts of absentee ballot fraud and one count of mutilation of election materials. He allegedly worked in tandem with 34-year-old Armando Ramos, an unemployed student. Ramos faces two counts of absentee ballot fraud and two counts of mutilation of election materials.


A source familiar with the investigation said Eapen and Ramos “would target different people—primarily Indian and Pakistani voters—and suggest that they take absentee ballots. They would give them reasons why they should be taking absentee ballots—not necessarily valid reasons. They would be present when they filled out the application for the absentee ballot and, in some instances, they would bring the absentee ballot back to the people to vote.”

Stone defended Eapen as an “honest and fair person” and “one of the best” ward superintendents in the city, adding, “Nobody has ever accused him of wrongdoing and I don’t believe any charge of wrongdoing will ever be substantiated against Anish Eapen. These are trumped-up charges.”

The aldermen acknowledged that his campaign aggressively sought voters who were qualified to vote absentee in a heated race against Naisy Dolar. But, Stone angrily denied that his campaign engaged in absentee ballot fraud.
Vote fraud in Chicago? No word yet from those Democrats who claim vote fraud is non-existent.For those of you who don't know much about Alderman Stone, here's a gem of quote honoring his best friend Alderman Fred Roti who happened to be a "made-member" of Chicago Mafia:
"Our skyline should say 'Roti' on it,'' Stone said at the funeral. "If not for Fred Roti, half the buildings in the Loop would never have been built."
Isn't good to know that high ranking mobsters have had that kind of power in Chicago and Alderman Stone is friends with those sorts of people?