FBI probes community group for voter fraud

Washington, Oct. 17: With just over two weeks left for the November 4 presidential polls, the FBI has launched an investigation into the voter registration activities of community group Acorn, considered close to Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s campaign.

The justice department did not comment on the ongoing investigation but it is widely believed there have been orchestrated raids on the Acorn (Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now), for allegedly helping with voter registration fraud, a charge that has been flatly denied by the organisation.

The allegations have been that the organisation which claims to have registered more than one million voters has gone about the process falsely submitting voter registration forms including signing off with fictitious names.

Officials said investigation of Acorn’s activities would, for now, focus on reports of voter registration fraud that have surfaced in several states, including Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada and Missouri, the New York Times said in a report.

Republicans, including presidential nominee John McCain, have portrayed the FBI inquiry as a "nationwide investigation" and have sought to link Democratic rival Obama to Acorn.

Mr McCain, who said the group was "on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country," also asked Mr Obama to fully disclose the extent of his relationship with Acorn at their final presidential debate.

Mr Obama’s campaign, on the other hand, distanced the Afro-American from the organisation.

"It had nothing to do with us," Mr Obama, who had represented Acorn in a lawsuit in 1995, said of the reports of the questionable voter registration cards.

—PTI