Prominent Birther Linked To GOP "Voter Integrity" Squads

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 22, 2010 2:00PM

Ever since it was revealed that GOP Senate Candidate Mark Kirk planned on deploying "voter integrity" squads to key "vulnerable" (read; minority) precincts across the state, allegations of racism have dogged the move. Kirk's opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, has fired off letters to State's Attorney's across the state urging them to keep an eye on voter intimidation. The Giannoulias campaign has upped the ante further, linking voter suppression expert Hans von Spavkosky to voter suppression efforts in Illinois; von Spavkosky called the allegations "complete bullshit."

The Illinois GOP has partnered with a group called Illinois Republican Renaissance to form an "election fraud prevention task force" looking to turn right-wing grassroots activists into poll watchers and election officials. The coordinator of the project is Sharon Meroni, an anti-Obama birther who turned her fear of having a black man as President into a career famously passed around a petition to have President Obama tried for "high crimes and misdemeanors" and has since filed objections against 32 Illinois candidates for failing to provide adequate proof of citizenship. Most recently, Meroni was satisfied that Sally Wiggins, on the ballot in McHenry County for a judicial slot, provided proof that she was born in Harvard.

The Illinois GOP hasn't brought up the connection to Meroni and other voter suppression efforts, but it appears that these efforts are geared toward helping Republican candidates in November. Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady downplayed Meroni's efforts, telling Huffington Post Chicago, "We have a lot of people working on ballot integrity."