September 25, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information:
Aaron Rizzio, NH Volunteer Coordinator

STATEMENT FROM NADER NH VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR RESPONDING TO DEM PARTY CHAIR

Peterborough, NH: Aaron Rizzio, Volunteer Coordinator for Ralph Nader's ballot drive in New Hampshire, issued the following statement:

"Vindicated in the wake of the bipartisan 5-0 ruling upholding Ralph Nader's right to appear on the November general election ballot the Nader campaign in the Granite State would like to point out the reckless and petty tactics employed by the leadership of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

"The residents of New Hampshire who contribute financially to the State Democratic Party should be shocked and outraged at the waste and mismanagement of unknown tens of thousands of dollars on an utterly frivolous lawsuit before the state Ballot Law Commission in a vain attempt to deprive New Hampshire voters of a real choice this November.  I call upon Kathy Sullivan, the State Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party for a full and public accounting of the money that was spent on what one commissioner referred to as a 'shadowy and sinister' pseudo-legal front group calling itself the 'Clean Ballot Project'.  Run out of Boston the front group made thousands of harassing phone calls to residents of the Granite State in an attempt to get them to recant their Nader signatures.

"To paraphrase the commission chair the Democrats didn't even come close to meeting their burden of proof here. Only three witnesses to any kind of misconduct were presented in the five-hour long hearing and the credibility of at least two of them were seriously called into question by the commissioners themselves.  Hearsay affidavits that were not even notarized were presented as 'evidence' of wide-spread misconduct.

"For the record Ralph Nader is the only candidate who will be on the New Hampshire ballot who supports a halt to the Gulf War, implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, elimination of outsourcing resulting from the Most Favored Nation-style trade deal with anti-democratic regimes such as China, and universal health care.

- END -