Campaigns | Voters First Canvasser Arrested for Submitting Fraudulent Petitions

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17th Aug 2012 at 09:42 | By

Voters First Canvasser Arrested for Submitting Fraudulent Petitions

A former Ohio University student paid to canvass for Voters First Ohio petition signatures was arrested August 14 by the Cincinnati Police Department. Timothy Noel Zureick was booked on 22 counts of signing false signatures and one count of election falsification, both fifth-degree felonies.

Timothy Zureick

Timothy Zureick

As reported by the Athens News, Zureick, age 21, was arrested for crimes allegedly committed while working in Athens for Working America, a campaign arm of the AFL-CIO in Washington, DC. Zureick’s August 14 arrest is the first known prosecution to stem from the numerous allegations of fraud during the union-driven Voters First campaign.

According to authorities, on or around June 12 Zureick forged the signatures of a number of prominent Athens County Democratic Party figures. Athens County Board of Elections employees who had not signed Voters First petitions alerted the county prosecutor’s office after finding their signatures on petitions Zureick submitted.

The White Collar Crimes unit of the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office investigated the case and found that Zureick was living in Cincinnati. Zureick, who has two addresses in Cincinnati, was located by authorities at his father’s residence thanks to assistance from a neighbor.

Zureick reportedly attempted to hide from the officers serving a warrant for his arrest.

“His father first denied he was at the home,” Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn told Athens News reporter Jim Phillips. However, Zureick’s car parked outside and movement detected inside the home led police to suspect otherwise.

Officers were able to persuade Zureick’s father to cooperate and to escort his son into police custody.

Shannon Welch, the president of the Ohio University College Democrats, released a statement on August 16 asserting that Zureick ended his affiliation with the club in 2010. According to Zureick’s Facebook account, he regularly attended Ohio University College Democrats parties as recently as March 31 of this year.

Blackburn, who is a member of the Athens County Democratic Party, informed the Athens News he will seek a conviction for Zureick.

“It’s a very serious matter, even though it is a first offense,” Blackburn said. He described intentional tampering with the ballot process as an offense “against our democracy as a whole.”

Voters First canvassers were caught on tape breaking election laws earlier this summer, and the group initially failed to submit enough signatures to place their referendum on the November 2012 ballot. Nearly 45 percent of the first batch of signatures submitted by Voters First were ruled invalid by election officials.

According to sources, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is pursuing a separate investigation involving fraudulent signatures submitted by Voters First petition circulators.

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Discussion | 26 Comments

  1. Hening said

    Aug 17, 2012 at 3:30 PM

    Felony counts are no small matter. Are to to presume that his Democratic ties will get him to be as free as a bird?

    • Jason Hart said

      Aug 17, 2012 at 4:07 PM

      One would certainly hope not, if he is in fact guilty as charged! The Athens County prosecutor appears to be taking the case seriously.

    • BTaylor said

      Aug 18, 2012 at 11:50 AM

      Felonies are, by definition, ANY crime that is punishable by more than a year and a day in jail. Yeah, I sure hope the Athens authorites DO take this seriously. I see some hope in the quotation from the head Democrat in the area: Voter fraud is an offense against DEMOCRACY!

  2. Robert P Dalton said

    Aug 17, 2012 at 4:18 PM

    Only a drop in an Ocean. Isn’t anyone suspicion when Obama receives 70% of the total vote and the opponent gets 60% ? DUUHHHHHH !!

  3. Jerry Stark said

    Aug 17, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    Ohio…union state. Nuff said.

    • bob long said

      Aug 18, 2012 at 8:44 AM

      Jerry, the unions will do all they can to intimidate their members into voting straight democratic. Some unions have absentee voting parties at the union halls with free booze and food. SEIU will be aligned with the democRATs to steal votes of the dead, out of state residents, illegals and ineligble voters. This is a very concentrated effort on their part.

    • BTaylor said

      Aug 18, 2012 at 11:51 AM

      ROFLMAO!!!! You’d sure think so, but maybe they flunked 1st grade math.

  4. bob long said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 8:41 AM

    This is the down in the dirt style democrats that are part of voter fraud in America. Many times the young college age are influenced to help the noble causes of the party. Yet on the other hand you have ACORN in Ohio who is still functioning under several new names such as Progress Ohio.

  5. flavio said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 10:06 AM

    As a Hispanic I have NO problem showing an I’d when you vote.

  6. John Squire said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 11:09 AM

    This is a prime example of why valid Photo I.D’s must be inforced in all 50 states. Fraud and coercion must not be allowed in our democracy. Individuals that ARE NOT legal U.S. Can NOT be part of the process as well.

  7. OneCitizenOfTheRepublic said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 11:33 AM

    “There is no problem with voter fraud in this country” Eric Holder 2012.

    Yeah right…there’s no problem until you actually start checking for it!

    • Gordon L said

      Aug 20, 2012 at 1:32 PM

      There is no problem with voter fraud according to Eric Holder, as long as that fraud is working in his party’s favor.

    • ben said

      Aug 21, 2012 at 5:25 PM

      yah because this guy was voting for people…no …he was collecting signatures for a referendum,which as far as im aware doesnt require ID nor is any politician pushing for id’s on petition signatures.

  8. reggiec said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 11:59 AM

    If Obama wins or loses in Nov. he will pardon anyone who broke any law that helps Obama.

  9. H. E. DAVIS said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 1:21 PM

    He’s probably only one (1) of thousands doing the same thing nationwide. Hopefully, those in charge of viewing the submissions by these individuals will take action to stop the fraud.

  10. DANEgerus said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    Doesn’t look like a Chick-Fil-A customer to me

  11. Conserve said

    Aug 18, 2012 at 9:07 PM

    What? I could have sworn the dems assured us voter fraud is a myth.

  12. rannan3 said

    Aug 19, 2012 at 9:45 AM

    The looney Left constantly claims there is no evidence any votes have been fraudulent. BUT take that claim one step farther — WHY go to all this trouble IF you don’t expect to influence/ steal votes ? I have no doubt the problem is much larger than any of us know.
    AND since it’s only Dems. who are opposed to showing Photo ID’s to vote — sounds to me like they
    have plans for the upcoming elections. AND proving your identity isn’t in their plans !

  13. Lawrence DeYoung said

    Aug 19, 2012 at 10:23 AM

    Anyone, from any political party or thier subsidiaries, sanctioned or not, that engage in election fraud activities should lose thier right to parcipitate in the electorial process forever. This includes the right to vote, donate any monies, and to be prohibited to be involved in any political organizational sructure at any level. Using this solution, the problem will clear itself up. If you don’t play by the rules… YOU GET THROWN OUT OF THE SANDBOX OF POLITICS !! Food for thought for those that wish to engage in activities that negates the voice (Vote) of others that respect the integrity of the voting process.

  14. HarryM said

    Aug 19, 2012 at 11:56 AM

    They need to fast-track this prosecution so this crook doesn’t have a chance to vote this election. However, being a convicted felon, the Democrats likely will find a way for him to vote anyway.

  15. Saltporkdoc said

    Aug 19, 2012 at 1:16 PM

    As an Ohioan, I am embarassed twofold. First, that this level of fraud occurred in my state (although I take comfort in knowing that at least my state is doing something besides denial or handwringing about it).
    Second, this was a college student too stupid to know better than use the signatures of people who would be reviewing his work?! I know Ohio educators can do a better job than they did with this mutt!

    • andrew said

      Aug 20, 2012 at 7:42 AM

      Yes Saltporkdoc, Ohio has had considerable voter fraud ever since ACORN came from the streets of Obamaville (Chicago) In 2008 ACORN was rounding up anybody who could breath and took them for early voting. I saw it myself when the vans can in with them. Most were homeless, transients, drug or alcohol addicted and yet they still got to vote.

  16. richard mcenroe said

    Aug 19, 2012 at 1:30 PM

    See the light in his eyes? That’s reality, coming straight at you, doofus….

    • ben said

      Aug 21, 2012 at 5:27 PM

      because drug addicts, transients and homeless people ((they are the same thing)) ect shouldnt get to vote just because they are on hard times? …that veiwpoint is rather unamerican.

  17. andrew said

    Aug 20, 2012 at 7:38 AM

    Ohio University and Athens, Ohio has been a breeding ground of occupy style radicals and socialists from the 60′s. The have a lock on democratic candidates winning due to the liberal influence there. It is clear that this guy was recruited by others and my guess is the AFSCME or OEA unions were part of it.

    • ben said

      Aug 21, 2012 at 5:29 PM

      occupy has nothing to do with your right or left system ,any person claiming to be part of occupy pushing a party line …left or right is a fake.