Coulter May Not Be Off the Hook for Alleged Voting Fraud

By: E&P Staff This spring, it looked like Ann Coulter's alleged voting-fraud troubles might be over after a high-level FBI agent made unsolicited phone calls to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Florida to vouch for the conservative columnist. But the Palm Beach Post's Jose Lambiet now reports that the Universal Press Syndicate pundit may not be completely off the hook.

Lambiet wrote that the sheriff's office "punted a voting fraud probe in April" but "the Florida Elections Commission now is investigating" the February 2006 incident in which Coulter -- who's also an author and lawyer -- allegedly cast her ballot in the wrong precinct in a Palm Beach election after registering with an address that wasn't hers.

"The Coulter voting saga is now known as FEC Case No. 07-211," Lambiet continued. "The investigator assigned, Tallahassee's Margie Wade, wouldn't confirm she caught the case; FEC complaints are supposed to be confidential. Still, [I'm] told Coulter already has been notified she's under investigation.

"Who filed? [Campaign consultant] Richard Giorgio, whose stable of candidates includes mostly Democrats. His two-pronged complaint against the prolific boob-tube pontificator accuses her of false swearing and fraud. 'I actually saw her vote at St. Edward's (Church), and she looked in a hurry,' Giorgio said. The church is reserved for voters from the north side of the island, while Coulter lives south near Worth Avenue.

"'I didn't realize that she had tried to vote somewhere else and was turned back. This was willful. Anyone else would have been prosecuted.'"

Lambiet added: "According to FEC rules, Wade has subpoena powers and could force Coulter to sing. Then he concluded: "The FEC could impose $2,000 in fines. And it could refer the case to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or the state attorney's office for criminal prosecution. The decision is left to the commission, whose seven members all were appointed by former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush."

For Lambiet's complete piece -- which was also mentioned on The Brad Blog -- click here: