U.S. Attorneys: Report Possible Election Fraud and Voting Rights Violations During March 18 Primaries

SAN JUAN—United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez announced today that a team of experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys, led by Criminal Division Chief José A. Ruiz and District Election Officer Ernesto López-Soltero, will coordinate the efforts of her office in connection with the primaries scheduled to be held on March 18, 2012. AUSA López-Soltero, in his capacity as district election officer, is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters.

The main goal underlying this Justice Department initiative is to deter election fraud and discrimination at the polls 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. It is of utmost importance to the Department to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process. The right to vote is the cornerstone of our 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 March 18, 2012 and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, USA Rodríguez-Vélez stated that Assistant U.S. Attorneys José A. Ruiz and Ernesto López Soltero will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. The public can contact these Assistant U.S. Attorneys to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations, while the polls are open on March 18, 2012, at the following telephone numbers: 787-340-0002 and 787-340-1735.

The FBI will also have special agents available in the San Juan Division to receive complaints regarding election fraud and other election abuses or violations. To file complaints regarding election fraud and voting rights violations, including acts of harassment, or intimidation, the public should call the FBI, 24 hours a day, at 787-754-6000 or 1-877-FBI-SJPR (1-877-324-7577). The public should be aware that FBI agents will not be assigned to “police” the electoral process or act as observers at the polls. FBI agents will not enter the polls in an official capacity or conduct any investigation inside any public facility in which the polls are located, except in case of extenuating circumstances.

United States Attorney Rodríguez-Vélez said, “Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute the worth of votes honestly cast. They also corrupt the essence of our representative 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, including acts of harassment or intimidation, should make that information available immediately to the U.S. Attorney’s Office or the FBI.”

West Wing Week: "Where the Future Will Be Won"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, walk step-by-step with the President as he meets with his Jobs Council in North Carolina to discuss ideas that will accelerate job growth and improve America's competitiveness, tours a manufacturer of energy efficient lighting, travels to Puerto Rico, and more.

Watch the video at WhiteHouse.gov.

Green Party supports protesters opposing massive 'Via Verde' gas pipeline through Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's colonial status must be replaced with self-determination and independence, say Greens

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Green Party has joined Puerto Ricans protesting a proposal by Gov. Luis Fortuño to construct a huge natural gas pipeline that would endanger Puerto Rico's communities and ecosystems. Green Party leaders said that the problem of Puerto Rico's high electric bills and dirty air from burning oil must be resolved through alternative energy instead of burning another fossil fuel.

"Everything about the project is wrong, beginning with Gov. Fortuño's Orwellian name for the pipeline -- the 'Green Way' [Via Verde]. A pipeline that threatens people living nearby and damages green mountains is not green, by any stretch. The top contract for the $450 million pipeline has been awarded to a company with no experience constructing pipelines. It's a corrupt deal to benefit a favored corporation," said Rosa Clemente, the Green Party's 2008 nominee for Vice President. Ms. Clemente is Puerto Rican.

The contractor, Gas Natural de Puerto Rico, is also seeking tax exemption, while the bill for the pipeline will be covered by Puerto Rican taxpayers ("Pide exención contributiva al Gobierno," Perla del Sur, http://www.periodicolaperla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2585:pide-exencion-contributiva-futuro-usuario-del-gasoducto-del-norte&catid=81:locales&Itemid=198).

For more information on the serious risks of the pipeline, see "Casa Pueblo: scientific paper on the pipeline," RedBetances.com (in Spanish) (http://www.redbetances.com/component/content/article/51-en-portada/390-casa-pueblo-html).

"Puerto Rico's colonial status makes it especially vulnerable to the kind of corporate influence, official corruption, and disregard for the well-being of residents and the environment in evidence now with the pipeline proposal. Puerto Ricans were also forced to accept weapons testing by the US Navy on the island of Vieques, until widespread protests shut down the firing range in 2003. The Green Party supports the efforts of Puerto Ricans to stop this misnamed gas pipeline, and we support self-determination, independence, and democratic sovereignty for the people of Puerto Rico," said Michael Canney, Florida Green and member of the Green Party's International Committee (http://www.gp.org/committees/intl).

Green Party leaders said that the Puerto Rico's energy problems must be solved by diversifying energy sources (excluding nuclear power), aggressive energy conservation and efficiency, and finding ways to reduce the island's reliance on expensive fossil fuels. The top priority, in Puerto Rico and throughout the world, must be protection of the health of humans, other living beings, and ecosystems and action to curb the advance of global warming.

On May 9, the Jacksonville office of the US Army Corps of Engineers, in an unprecedented move, removed all documents related to the permitting process for the Via Verde pipeline from the Corps' San Juan office and transferred jurisdiction to Florida. (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&note_id=118899578193054&id=109915969091415) This decision leaves the San Juan Office, which has spent six months evaluating the project, without jurisdiction. It also distances the people of Puerto Rico from the permitting process. Greens urge the US Army Corps of Engineers to return jurisdiction to its Puerto Rico office, and to decline approval for the project.

"While Gov. Fortuño is promoting Via Verde, President Obama is calling for expanded domestic drilling for oil, with more drilling in Alaska, Atlantic coastal areas, and the Gulf of Mexico. The problem isn't just dependence on foreign oil, as the President seems to think. The problem is the US's addiction to fossil fuels regardless of their source, with a US energy policy driven by corporate greed rather than the public interest. Increased drilling and new pipelines are insane in the context of climate change and last year's BP oil spill disaster," said Hector Lopez, Connecticut Green and member of the International Committee.