Marion Open to Holding Oversight Hearings to Review Block's Voting Fraud Allegations

Marion Open to Holding Oversight Hearings to Review Block's Voting Fraud Allegations

John Marion, head of Common Cause Rhode Island, said that he is open to the idea of House Oversight hearings on former GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Block's latest allegations regarding voter fraud in Rhode Island, Common Cause is on record saying Block's claims are false. Marion 's group has been outspoken about both Block's claims and his methods. 

"An initial review of Mr. Block’s letter, however, reveals several misleading omissions and suggestions. Mr. Block’s main accusation is that the state is only requiring personally identifying information (PII) from first-time registrants who apply by mail. This ignores the language in the very regulations he is attacking that make clear the state must also collect this information when registrations are completed by third-party registrants. Third-party registrants are significant, and this is no small oversight on Mr. Block’s part," said RI Common Cause in a statement on September 28. 

"Finally, by providing all this information in the form of a letter to the Department of Justice that was shared with the media on an embargoed basis, Mr. Block demonstrates his primary goal is not to improve elections in Rhode Island, but rather to seek sensationalistic and possibly misleading headlines," said Common Cause.

The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity has urged the House Oversight Committee to be convened to review the issues:

The revelation today of two past cases of suspicious RI Board of Elections (BOE) rules changes prompted the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity to call on the House Oversight Committee to hold emergency fall hearings to look into potential illegal registration and voting guidelines. This, in addition to the Center's previous call on the Governor and/or the Attorney General to initiate an independent investigation.

Recently, the RI TACLU refuted Block's findings.