hooligan
02-01-2005, 04:43 PM
So, I was driving to work this morning and I heard about this case about this Democratic newcomer to the Texas legislature beating out this 22 year Republican incumbent named Heflin. The Republicans basically said there was wide spread fraud and Vo should be kicked out of the Texas House of Representatives because of the fraud.
When an independent review person looked over the evidence, I forgot this guy's name but he was Republican, he actually found that the Republican case against Vo was full of holes and that there might have been fraud, but it was on both sides and Vo still won (by around 30 votes).
It's interesting to note that Vo credits the second largest Vietnamese American community in the US helping him get elected and how the Republicans tried to organize complaints against him.
Building the case against Andy Taylor
Looks like Andy Taylor may be at risk of legal sanctions for filing frivolous pleadings in the Heflin election challenge – and, perhaps, even for tampering with evidence, a crime that could otentially cost him his license to practice law.
1. The original pleadings from Heflin’s side alleged “massive fraud,” as did Taylor in numerous press conferences and statements to the media. Last Friday, Jan. 28, Taylor backed down and tried to persuade everyone he had never mentioned the possibility of fraud.
2. Taylor alleged improprieties regarding African American votes and people being added to the rolls illegitimately. Turned out, he was referring to HD 137, not the Heflin-Vo race. In the spring, Bernard Amadou was accused of re-registering five voters in his primary race against Hochberg. This is being investigated by Harris Co., officials and has absolutely nothing to do with HD 149. Taylor seems to have been trying to purposefully confuse the issue in an effort to portray the whole election as hopelessly flawed.
3. Taylor may have improperly coordinated with Harris Co. voter registrar Bettencourt to sweep voters of the rolls in HD 149. Bettencourt, a Republican politician with statewide ambitions, had cleansed the rolls before the election. But afterward, he apparently allowed Taylor to persuade him to remove a number of voters from the list AFTER they had voted and then tried to declare their vote illegal.
4. Perhaps most troubling of all, Taylor submitted photocopies of the deposition questionnaires he had voters fill out. Only when Special Master Will Hartnett on Friday saw the originals for the first time, did he note that some of the answers seemed to have been filled out in different ink and different handwriting. Did Taylor tamper with evidence? If so, he could be subject to legal sanctions and perhaps even disbarment.
I believe Andy Taylor is one of the Republicans organizing against Vo. Vo was already sworn in so I believe there's little that they can do unless it's outright illegal to remove him.
HUBERT VO, FORMER VIETNAM REFUGEE,
BEATS POWERFUL TEXAS REP. BY 33 VOTES
*Opponent Charges Fraud, TX House to Settle Dispute by January
*
By Rita M. Gerona-Adkins
Special to Asian Fortune
WASHINGTON, D.C. – They can’t take Vo for an answer, a pundit punned about Hubert Vo (second from right in picture).
Vo, a 48-year old former refugee from Vietnam turned Democrat politician, ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives in last November’s elections for Southwest Harris County’s District 149 located in Houston, and beat one of the state’s most senior and powerful legislators by 32 votes.
Not accepting Vo’s narrow victory, his opponent Republican State Rep. Talmadge Heflin, who chairs the House appropriations committee and had run for a 12th term in his 22-year legislative career, filed a protest to the Texas secretary of state, the state’s highest ranking election official, alleging fraud, and asked for a manual recount.
On Dec. 1st. the result of the hand recount of 42,000 ballots was announced: Vo still won, this time with 33 votes more than Heflin’s. ******
In a press conference the next day, Vo, who already had started participating in an orientation session for newly elected legislators, said, “I wanted to say that my faith in the democratic process is stronger today than it was when I came to this special land nearly 30 years ago…I also want to say a special word about Mr. Heflin. He is a good man, and I honor him for his long years of service to the district.
“Now it’s time to get to work on our goals.”
The controversy, however, did not end there.
Heflin, through his lawyer, Andy Taylor, is still contesting the election before the state House of Representatives, on allegations of voter fraud.
Taylor was quoted by Burnt Orange Report to have said that the Heflin campaign had uncovered “deeply disturbing evidence of voter fraud and election irregularities.”
“Illegal votes were counted, and legal votes were rejected,” Taylor was reported to have said on Nov. 24.
The House of Representatives is expected to announce a resolution of the complaint sometime after it opens in January 11, 2005.
According to Houston Chronicle’s Nov. 24, 2004 issue, “A decision by the House committee, which would have subpoena power and take depositions, would likely come no sooner than late January. The Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 11, and Vo would be limited to voting only on procedural matters until the dispute is resolved.”* The House decision would be final.
It was also reported that although there have been several election contests in the Texas House in recent years, none has reversed an election result, and most were withdrawn after they were filed.*
In a long distance telephone interview for Asian Fortune, Vo exuded confidence that it would be resolved in his favor.
He said he expects a decision will have been made by early February.
“To me, whatever procedures and processes [may take place], I am moving on, to serve according to the goals that I have set in helping my district, especially in improving education, health care, and small business opportunities.”
Vo’s political victory is the first win in 32 years by a Democrat for a House seat in the Texas legislature.
If the dispute ultimately resolves in his favor, Vo will also serve as the first and only Vietnamese American Democrat state legislator in Texas as well as in the United States.*
Vo came to the U.S. as a teenager, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston while working nights as a steel worker, and later opened a computer business which he expanded into importing computers from overseas for wholesale and networking.
He also diversified his business by going into property investment, owning office and shopping centers, and managing several apartment complexes.
His campaign bio describes his eclectic work experience: “In pursuing his dream, Hubert has had a vast array of work experiences. These include waiter, busboy, cook, assembler and quality assurance specialist, convenience store clerk, phone book updater, steel worker, goldsmith, data technician, and realtor.”
In two decades, he has been working closely with his community, including serving in the YMCA board and in chambers of commerce, as a council member on the neighborhood council, and in several community and professional organizations.
How did he run his campaign?
“By treating it seriously,” he told Asian Fortune.* “I treated it like I treat my company, very seriously.”
Elaborating further, he said he studied his district, his opponent’s strengths, and how much the campaign would cost, which was $300,000.
“It was truly a grassroots campaign, meeting people one-on-one, going to events in the district and in different counties,” he said. “I also had many different groups involved in my campaign: Hispanics, Anglos, African-Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and yes, many Filipino Americans – from 40-some organizations.”
Like George W. Bush, another Texan politician who now occupies the White House, he also speaks Spanish.
He has not, however, acquired the Texan twang; he still speaks with a slight Vietnamese accent.
How did people react to his Asian accent?*
“I did not feel any discrimination at all.* In my campaign, I felt that the Anglos treated me OK, that everyone looked at me as a person who can contribute to the district.”
There are about 160,000 individuals of Asian origin in his district, a majority of which is Vietnamese, followed by South Asians, and a large portion of Filipinos.* Altogether, APAs constitute about 18 percent of his district’s entire population.
He estimates that of those eligible to vote among the APAs, there may be about 3,000 who actually voted.* The district has about 70,000 eligible voters, 55 percent of which, or 42,000, had actually voted.
Having climbed up a rung in his adopted country’s political ladder, Vo has message to other Asian Pacific Americans. He said, “I would encourage everyone to vote, to have their voices heard, to stay focused on issues, and to work closely with elected officials.”
Vo is married to Kathy, who helps operate their computer business.* They have three children: Howard, 21, who majors in biology at the University of Houston; Margaret, 17, a high school senior; and Christine, 10, who is in the 5th grade.
Irene Bueno, Chair of AAA-Fund, a group supporting APAs for elective office, urges support for Vo by contacting: http://www.hubertvo.com/contribute.htm *
Or by contributing by mail to: Friends of Hubert Vo Campaign, Treasurer: Shadrick Bogany, P.O.Box 2227, Alief, TX 77411-2227, tel: 281-
http://www.texascivilrightsreview.org/phpnuke/
Go here for more details.
When an independent review person looked over the evidence, I forgot this guy's name but he was Republican, he actually found that the Republican case against Vo was full of holes and that there might have been fraud, but it was on both sides and Vo still won (by around 30 votes).
It's interesting to note that Vo credits the second largest Vietnamese American community in the US helping him get elected and how the Republicans tried to organize complaints against him.
Building the case against Andy Taylor
Looks like Andy Taylor may be at risk of legal sanctions for filing frivolous pleadings in the Heflin election challenge – and, perhaps, even for tampering with evidence, a crime that could otentially cost him his license to practice law.
1. The original pleadings from Heflin’s side alleged “massive fraud,” as did Taylor in numerous press conferences and statements to the media. Last Friday, Jan. 28, Taylor backed down and tried to persuade everyone he had never mentioned the possibility of fraud.
2. Taylor alleged improprieties regarding African American votes and people being added to the rolls illegitimately. Turned out, he was referring to HD 137, not the Heflin-Vo race. In the spring, Bernard Amadou was accused of re-registering five voters in his primary race against Hochberg. This is being investigated by Harris Co., officials and has absolutely nothing to do with HD 149. Taylor seems to have been trying to purposefully confuse the issue in an effort to portray the whole election as hopelessly flawed.
3. Taylor may have improperly coordinated with Harris Co. voter registrar Bettencourt to sweep voters of the rolls in HD 149. Bettencourt, a Republican politician with statewide ambitions, had cleansed the rolls before the election. But afterward, he apparently allowed Taylor to persuade him to remove a number of voters from the list AFTER they had voted and then tried to declare their vote illegal.
4. Perhaps most troubling of all, Taylor submitted photocopies of the deposition questionnaires he had voters fill out. Only when Special Master Will Hartnett on Friday saw the originals for the first time, did he note that some of the answers seemed to have been filled out in different ink and different handwriting. Did Taylor tamper with evidence? If so, he could be subject to legal sanctions and perhaps even disbarment.
I believe Andy Taylor is one of the Republicans organizing against Vo. Vo was already sworn in so I believe there's little that they can do unless it's outright illegal to remove him.
HUBERT VO, FORMER VIETNAM REFUGEE,
BEATS POWERFUL TEXAS REP. BY 33 VOTES
*Opponent Charges Fraud, TX House to Settle Dispute by January
*
By Rita M. Gerona-Adkins
Special to Asian Fortune
WASHINGTON, D.C. – They can’t take Vo for an answer, a pundit punned about Hubert Vo (second from right in picture).
Vo, a 48-year old former refugee from Vietnam turned Democrat politician, ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives in last November’s elections for Southwest Harris County’s District 149 located in Houston, and beat one of the state’s most senior and powerful legislators by 32 votes.
Not accepting Vo’s narrow victory, his opponent Republican State Rep. Talmadge Heflin, who chairs the House appropriations committee and had run for a 12th term in his 22-year legislative career, filed a protest to the Texas secretary of state, the state’s highest ranking election official, alleging fraud, and asked for a manual recount.
On Dec. 1st. the result of the hand recount of 42,000 ballots was announced: Vo still won, this time with 33 votes more than Heflin’s. ******
In a press conference the next day, Vo, who already had started participating in an orientation session for newly elected legislators, said, “I wanted to say that my faith in the democratic process is stronger today than it was when I came to this special land nearly 30 years ago…I also want to say a special word about Mr. Heflin. He is a good man, and I honor him for his long years of service to the district.
“Now it’s time to get to work on our goals.”
The controversy, however, did not end there.
Heflin, through his lawyer, Andy Taylor, is still contesting the election before the state House of Representatives, on allegations of voter fraud.
Taylor was quoted by Burnt Orange Report to have said that the Heflin campaign had uncovered “deeply disturbing evidence of voter fraud and election irregularities.”
“Illegal votes were counted, and legal votes were rejected,” Taylor was reported to have said on Nov. 24.
The House of Representatives is expected to announce a resolution of the complaint sometime after it opens in January 11, 2005.
According to Houston Chronicle’s Nov. 24, 2004 issue, “A decision by the House committee, which would have subpoena power and take depositions, would likely come no sooner than late January. The Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 11, and Vo would be limited to voting only on procedural matters until the dispute is resolved.”* The House decision would be final.
It was also reported that although there have been several election contests in the Texas House in recent years, none has reversed an election result, and most were withdrawn after they were filed.*
In a long distance telephone interview for Asian Fortune, Vo exuded confidence that it would be resolved in his favor.
He said he expects a decision will have been made by early February.
“To me, whatever procedures and processes [may take place], I am moving on, to serve according to the goals that I have set in helping my district, especially in improving education, health care, and small business opportunities.”
Vo’s political victory is the first win in 32 years by a Democrat for a House seat in the Texas legislature.
If the dispute ultimately resolves in his favor, Vo will also serve as the first and only Vietnamese American Democrat state legislator in Texas as well as in the United States.*
Vo came to the U.S. as a teenager, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston while working nights as a steel worker, and later opened a computer business which he expanded into importing computers from overseas for wholesale and networking.
He also diversified his business by going into property investment, owning office and shopping centers, and managing several apartment complexes.
His campaign bio describes his eclectic work experience: “In pursuing his dream, Hubert has had a vast array of work experiences. These include waiter, busboy, cook, assembler and quality assurance specialist, convenience store clerk, phone book updater, steel worker, goldsmith, data technician, and realtor.”
In two decades, he has been working closely with his community, including serving in the YMCA board and in chambers of commerce, as a council member on the neighborhood council, and in several community and professional organizations.
How did he run his campaign?
“By treating it seriously,” he told Asian Fortune.* “I treated it like I treat my company, very seriously.”
Elaborating further, he said he studied his district, his opponent’s strengths, and how much the campaign would cost, which was $300,000.
“It was truly a grassroots campaign, meeting people one-on-one, going to events in the district and in different counties,” he said. “I also had many different groups involved in my campaign: Hispanics, Anglos, African-Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and yes, many Filipino Americans – from 40-some organizations.”
Like George W. Bush, another Texan politician who now occupies the White House, he also speaks Spanish.
He has not, however, acquired the Texan twang; he still speaks with a slight Vietnamese accent.
How did people react to his Asian accent?*
“I did not feel any discrimination at all.* In my campaign, I felt that the Anglos treated me OK, that everyone looked at me as a person who can contribute to the district.”
There are about 160,000 individuals of Asian origin in his district, a majority of which is Vietnamese, followed by South Asians, and a large portion of Filipinos.* Altogether, APAs constitute about 18 percent of his district’s entire population.
He estimates that of those eligible to vote among the APAs, there may be about 3,000 who actually voted.* The district has about 70,000 eligible voters, 55 percent of which, or 42,000, had actually voted.
Having climbed up a rung in his adopted country’s political ladder, Vo has message to other Asian Pacific Americans. He said, “I would encourage everyone to vote, to have their voices heard, to stay focused on issues, and to work closely with elected officials.”
Vo is married to Kathy, who helps operate their computer business.* They have three children: Howard, 21, who majors in biology at the University of Houston; Margaret, 17, a high school senior; and Christine, 10, who is in the 5th grade.
Irene Bueno, Chair of AAA-Fund, a group supporting APAs for elective office, urges support for Vo by contacting: http://www.hubertvo.com/contribute.htm *
Or by contributing by mail to: Friends of Hubert Vo Campaign, Treasurer: Shadrick Bogany, P.O.Box 2227, Alief, TX 77411-2227, tel: 281-
http://www.texascivilrightsreview.org/phpnuke/
Go here for more details.