CREW URGES TEXAS ELECTIONS DIVISION TO INVESTIGATE ROVE’S ILLEGAL VOTER REGISTRATION

6 Sep 2005 // Washington, DC – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a complaint to Texas state Director of Elections, Ann McGeehan, urging an investigation into whether Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bush, violated Texas state law by illegally registering as a voter in Kerr County, Texas.

According to a recent Washington Post report, Mr. Rove and his wife, Darby, registered to vote in Kerr County in 2003 after they sold their Austin, Texas home. County property records show that Mr. Rove and his wife have owned two tiny rental cottages in Kerr County since 1997, the largest of which is only 814 feet and is valued by the county at $25,000. In contrast, the Roves Washington, D.C. home is valued at over $1.1 million. Local residents have stated that they have never seen Rove in the area.

“The possibility that one of President Bush’s top advisors, Karl Rove, has lied about his residence, thereby violating Texas law, must be investigated,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. “Regardless of Mr. Rove’s position, he is not above the law.”

Texas law stipulates that one of the requirements to be considered a “qualified voter” is that the person be a resident of Texas and the county in which application for voter registration is made. The application for registration must be executed and submitted to an election officer and must include a statement that the voter satisfies the applicable residence requirements and the voter's residence address. Texas law provides that making a false statement on a voter registration form is a Class B misdemeanor.

Elizabeth Reyes, a lawyer in the Texas Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office, stated that someone would have to file a complaint before any investigation would be initiated.

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit, progressive legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

For more information, or to view the letter, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman at 202.588.5565/press@citizensforethics.org.

Related Link: CREW Texas Elections Letter