Feds helping in local investigation into Cates vote fraud case
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By ANDREW W. GRIFFIN
Oklahoma Watchdog, editor
Posted: July 20, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY – With Darryl Cates out on bond, following his being charged with four counts of felony voter fraud in Adair County last week, District Attorney Jerry Moore, of District 27, told Oklahoma Watchdog Tuesday that his office is working with a federal office on this ongoing investigation.
Moore didn’t offer a lot of specific details as to the nature of the joint local and federal investigation, but he did say he was “absolutely over the situation in general.”
The Tahlequah-based district attorney said his office is working with the U.S. Postal Examiner’s investigative office looking at issues related to Cates’ use of the postal service in obtaining the absentee ballots.
Moore acknowledged the felony charges brought against Cates and reminded this reporter that “he is innocent until proven guilty.”
As we reported here at Oklahoma Watchdog last week, Cates, 73, of Westville, Okla. had four counts brought against him July 13th in the District Court of the 15th Judicial District of Oklahoma: two were for false affidavit in voting registration and two for false notarization of absentee ballot. This was signed off by Assistant District Attorney Larry Langley. The crime Cates is accused of is punishable by imprisonment for up to 2 years and a fine up to $5,000.
With Cates back on the streets and reports coming out of Adair County that 492 out of 811 absentee ballots have been mailed to Cates’ PO boxes in Stilwell and Westville, Oklahoma Watchdog asked Moore if there was a concern about those ballots being compromised by Cates, who is still under investigation.
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