Paul Lehto to speak in Rancho San Diego this Sunday

Here's my first in a series of things to do in San Diego this weekend. Mr Lehto is an interesting fella, and certainly well worth hearing on the subject of protecting our elections. He'll be addressing this Sunday's East County United meeting.

Press release issued by East County United:

Election Rights Attorney Paul Lehto to Speak Sunday, June 3rd in El Cajon on "Restoring Democracy and Stopping Secret Vote-Counting"

Paul Lehto, nationally renown election rights attorney and a leader in the battle to eliminate secret voting on electronic voting machines in San Diego County, will speak on Sunday, June 3rd at 2 p.m. in the Rancho San Diego Library community room. The library is located at 11555 Via Rancho San Diego in El Cajon. The event is sponsored by East County United.

Lehto is also a founder of Psephos, a nonprofit group working to defend citizens’ interests and democracy in the electoral process. Psephos supports a return to secure and verifiable elections in which paper ballots are counted by the people—not by electronic voting machines loaded with secret software.

He views the “right to toss the rascals out” as the number one inalienable right of citizens in a democracy. He believes that election equipment and procedures must be secured against corrupt officials and argues that our rights are at risk “whenever the government can gang up with a chosen vendor to count votes secretly.”

“The government is clearly failing to secure and guarantee to We the People our #1 inalienable right,” Lehto warns. “This is the gravest threat our democracy has ever faced.”

Lehto has led criticism of San Diego County officials for hiring a Debra Seiler, a former sales representative of the Diebold voting machine company, to serve as San Diego’s new Registrar of Voters. “Seiler is known as one of the best PR people or apologists for secret vote-counting that exists in the nation, and she's coming to San Diego County,” Lehto said. He has also opposed hiring of Michael Vu as Assistant Registar of Voters in San Diego. Vu oversaw elections in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where two employees were convicted of felony election rigging in the 2004 presidential recount election.

The famed election lawyer represents plaintiffs in a lawsuit contesting California’s 50th Congressional district, in which Brian Bilbray was declared the winner over Francine Busby. That case, currently on appeal, has been recognized by international election monitors as major litigation significant to democracy.

He has been praised as “lawyer extraordinaire” by Bob Fitrakis, editor of FreePress.org and dubbed “our consigliere of truth in elections” by internationally acclaimed journalist Greg Palast, author of Armed Madhouse. Lehto has also been called a “genius” by Mark Crispin Miller, author of Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them)

The Everett, Washington-based business law and consumer fraud attorney was named a “Rising Star” by Washington State Law and Politics magazine in 2003 and 2004. He wrote a paper exposing election irregularities in Washington involving electronic voting machines. His paper contains what he terms “smoking gun proof of electronic election fraud” and was featured in the book, “Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen?”

Lehto has also filed a personal lawsuit seeking to void purchase contracts for Sequoia electronic voting machines in Washington on grounds that trade secrets and secret vote-counting should not be legal in democratic elections.

For additional information on Psephos and Paul Lehto, visit www.psephos-us.org.

East County United, sponsor of the event, is a nonpartisan political action committee dedicated to educating our community about issues of importance and supporting candidates who believe in preserving principals of democracy, respecting sanctity of the Constitution, and protecting public education. East County United supports candidates who reflect these values and who are ethically honorable, socially compassionate and fiscally responsible to serve in public office and represent all East County residents including working people, families, the middle class, the poor, people of all races and religions, the elderly, and our children.

This event is free to the public. Donations to benefit East County United and Psephos are welcome. For more information on East County United, visit www.eastcountyunited.org. For details, call (619)316-0657.