DISTRICT 15 ELECTION IRREGULARITIES SENT TO DEPARTMENT OF LAW
Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux appears to have won her primary re-election.
The Aug. 28 count of absentee ballots has yielded 142 for LeDoux, and 33 for her Republican opponent, Aaron Weaver.
All things counted, she’s 87 votes ahead. That’s not counting 26 suspect ballots. All of those votes went to LeDoux but are not being included at this point.
100 votes is what LeDoux paid a man named Charlie Chang, from Fresno, Calif., to get for her as insurance for her election. She paid Chang $10,000 and plane tickets to and from Fresno to work over the Hmong vote in Muldoon.
[Read: LeDoux’s vote-getting scheme raises eyebrows]
[Read: Division of Elections: Irregularities in District 15]
District 15 primaries are low-turnout events, and this one was no different, so she wanted insurance to make sure nothing happened to bump her from office.
Yet on election night, she trailed Aaron Weaver by 3 votes, 294 to 291. But that was before all the absentees came in.
During the counting of absentee ballots, so many irregularities were discovered, that the Division of Elections has forwarded on information to the State Department of Law’s criminal division.
There were absentee ballots being requested by dead people, and phone numbers given on absentee ballots that were non-functioning. People voted who didn’t live in the district. People told the Division of Elections that they hadn’t voted, although ballots had been turned in in their name.
The Department of Law isn’t saying much, other than there is evidence of voter fraud.
IS CHANG A PART OF THE FRESNO DEMOCRATIC PARTY?
Chang was given the $10,000 vote bounty by LeDoux in late July to bring in the absentee votes throughout the Hmong community in District 15, where LeDoux serves as a House representative. The check went to his Sierra Vista address in Fresno.
Chang is a former president of the California Minority and Women’s Contractors Association, a now-defunct nonprofit registered to his address at 8437 N Sierra Vista, Fresno, California 93720.
But is he also the same Charlie Chang who is a Democrat activist in Fresno, the head of the Fresno Democratic Party’s Hmong Committee? Must Read Alaska found the group’s website, which shows:
Mission Statement
We, as Democrats, are devoted to advancing equal rights for all Hmong people regardless of age, race, gender, sexual preference, religion, national origin or economic status. We support the Democratic Party and those Democratic candidates who support our mission.
We will strive to realize these goals:
- To educate the Hmong community and others about the significant differences between the two major parties on issues of concern to this community.
- To encourage, empower and inspire Hmong to run for political office.
- To encourage members of the Hmong community to support and vote for Democratic candidates, especially Hmong Candidates who are committed to defeating prejudice.
- To lead the Central Valley Hmong Democrats to improve its record on issues of importance to our community.
- To work for the nomination of Hmong Democratic candidates at local, state and national levels of government  who will be fully supportive of the struggle against bigotry and intolerance.
- To provide manpower, resources, guidance and training to support and provide Hmong political candidates the best experiences and opportunity.
- To provide Hmong elders and non-English speakers the support they need during elections.
- To work with other groups and individuals to promote these goals.
President:Â Dr. Charlie Chang
559-470-4788
[email protected]
Meets third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.
Democratic Party HQ
1035 U St., Fresno
