The King County Prosecutor's Office today filed criminal charges against seven people who are accused of submitting 1,762 fraudulent registrations to King County's Department of Records and Elections in 2006. Investigators have determined, however, that no votes were cast from the fraudulent voter registrations and that there was no intent by the defendants to permit illegal voting.

A national voter-registration organization known as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) delivered 1,805 alleged new voter registrations in October 2006. An investigation was initiated in 2006 after King County's Records and Elections had concerns that some of the registrations were fraudulent.

Court documents indicate that the defendants were paid eight dollars per hour by ACORN to collect registrations, but the defendants would instead submit false registrations and ultimately get paid for work they did not perform.

The ACORN employees (or "canvassers") are accused of going to the Seattle Public Library and filling out voter registration forms based on names, addresses and telephone numbers taken from telephone books. There is no evidence that they intended to illegally vote.

Interim King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said that although no votes were cast, the defendants are accused of a serious crime.

Defendants Tina Johnson, 24, and Jayson Woods, 19, are each charged with eight counts of providing false information on a voter registration. Clifton Mitchell, 44, and Ryan Olson, 28, are each charged with two counts of providing false information, and Robert Greene, 56, and Kendra Thill, 18, are charged with one count each. Providing false information on a voter registration is a class "C" felony that carries a sentence range of zero to one year in jail.

One of the counts filed against Johnson and Woods stem from similar conduct referred from Pierce County. A seventh defendant, Brianna Debwa, 35, is charged with one count of providing false information on a voter registration and one count making a false statement to a public official. The latter charge is a gross misdemeanor, which also carries a sentence of up to one year.

The investigation was a joint effort by the King County Prosecutor's Office, the United States Attorney's Office, the Office of Records and Elections for King and Pierce Counties, the King County Sheriff's Office, and the Office of the Washington State Secretary of State. A news conference was held this morning to announce criminal charges. Satterberg was joined by King County Executive Ron Sims, Washington State's Secretary of State Sam Reed and Acting United States Attorney Jeff Sullivan.

The King County Canvassing Board also held a meeting this morning to remove the 1,762 fraudulent registrations from the voter lists.

Satterberg said his office did not file criminal charges against ACORN as a corporate entity because it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of ACORN's agents, the seven defendants, were intended to benefit ACORN. However, Satterberg said his office has taken steps to ensure that the problem with ACORN does not happen again.

Satterberg said that a settlement and compliance agreement establishes appropriate procedures for ACORN in the area of management, training, quality control, and the handling of "suspect" voter registrations. It also imposes an escalating penalty structure if ACORN fails to comply with the agreement or its own quality control measures and it gives the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the United States Attorney the power to review the company's quality control procedures on an ongoing basis.

The agreement also notifies ACORN that violations of the agreement, or failure to follow its quality control measures, could result in criminal penalties. ACORN has also agreed to pay King County $25,000 to cover the expenses incurred in responding to the submission of fraudulent voter registrations.

All seven defendants are currently out of custody. Arraignment is scheduled for August 2 at the King County Courthouse.

Link to Settlement and Compliance Agreement (PDF)

For additional information, also see: Statement of Interim King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg

Dated: July 26, 2007