Undercover Reporting

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "More Poll Cheating Detailed" - William Currie and Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-22

"More Democrats who acted as Republican election judges in the March primary testified before an Illinois legislative subcommittee that Democratic precinct bosses read the final vote tallies from election machines unchecked by the official judges. . ." 

VIII-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Illinois' Absurd Election Code" - Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

A Patchwork Quilt

1972-09-18

"The Illinois election code is a patchwork quilt of absurdities and contradictions that make honest elections practically impossible. State legislators stitched the code together over the last 30 years, inserting, deleting, and overlooking needed provisions with wild abandon. The law has become sphinxlike, challenging those authorized to administer it and to enforce it to unravel its riddles. . ." 

Editorial: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "The Vote Fraud Tragedy" - Unsigned - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-18

"As a direct result of a months' long investigation of vote fraud by The Tribune, 40 persons have been indictment by a federal grand jury. U.S. Atty. James R. Thompson promises that 'our investigation will continue and evidence will be presented...until we are convinced that the last piece of election fraud which can be uncovered will be prosecuted' . . ." 

VII-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Vote-Stealing Old Story in Chicago's Elections" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-18

"Vote fraud is an old story in Chicago. Only the names change when exposing the guilty. Currently, the Democrats are suspected vote stealers. A half century ago, Republican precinct workers sponsored by Mayor William H. Thompson were being hauled into courts to face charges resulting from their overzealous campaign strategies. . ." 

VI-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Cracking Dem Sanctum" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

How Tribune Got Vote Fraud Story

1972-09-18

"It was a job nobody wanted. It was a vacancy for a $20-a-day Republican clerk in the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners office in City Hall. The likelihood of a Republican ever rising above a clerk's job in an office so dominated by Democrats is very dim; so it was not a a job many would seek. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "20 More Vote Fraud Indictments Expected" - George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-18

"The federal grand jury that indicted 40 persons for vote fraud last week will soon return at least 20 more indictments, it was learned by The Tribune yesterday. . ." 

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "List of 40 Indicted in Vote Fraud" - Pamela Zekman and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-17

"The 40 persons indicted for vote fraud by the federal grand jury and the violations they allegedly committed during the March primary are: . . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "U.S. Acts to Protect Vote" - George Bliss and William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-17

"The federal government announced formation yesterday of a special task force of prosecutors to combat Chicago vote fraud in the Nov. 7 Presidential election. Federal agents meanwhile continued to round up 40 persons named in federal grand jury indictments for vote fraud. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Kusper Reign Attacked" - George Bliss and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

Fraud at Polls Described to House Unit

1972-09-16

"A parade of witnesses before a special Illinois House subcommittee investigating massive vote fraud told of vote buying, forgeries, phony election judges, terror tactics, and the beating of a poll watcher in Chicago precinct polling places last March. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Mass Vote Fraud Arrests" - William Mullen and Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

40 Reported Cited by U.S. Grand Jury

1972-09-16

"A federal grand jury investigating vote fraud during the March primary reportedly returned 12 indictments naming 40 persons yesterday before Chief Judge Edwin A. Robson of Federal District Court. He ordered them suppressed until noon today. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Percy Urges FBI Probe of Vote Fraud in Chicago" - Unsigned - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-15

"Sen. Percy (R., Ill.) today urged Atty. Gen. Richard Kleindienst to order the Federal Bureau of Investigation to examine evidence of vote fraud in Chicago and, possibly, to supervise the general election in November. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Prober Violated Law: Kusper" - George Bliss and Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-15

"Lashing out at Tribune disclosures of widespread vote fraud and election day irregularities, Kusper cited the law the reporter allegedly broke, but under sharp questioning admitted he himself has worked as an attorney on private legal matters while he has been board chairman. . ." 

V-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Workers Fight to Save Jobs" - William Mullen and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

Vote Fraud Product of Patronage

1972-09-14

"It is not just loyalty to the Democratic Party which has spawned partisan election boards in many of Chicago's wards. More often than not, it is a matter of survival for the local Democratic precinct captains and patronage employees. The Tribune Task Force uncovered hundreds of election judges who violated election rules. Many did so out of ignorance, others, in order to survive the competitive patronage system. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "3 Are Indicted in Vote Fraud" - George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-14

"A 46th Ward Democratic precinct captain, his wife and the wife of his assistant precinct captain were indicted by the county grand jury yesterday for voting from a precinct where they did not live during the March primary. . ." 

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Kusper Probers 'Blind' to Fraud" - Unsigned - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-13

"The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners pays $84,000 a year for eight full-time investigators who apparently do nothing much more than administrative work. . ." 

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Loose Controls Permit Vote Judges to Switch Parties" - William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-13

"Control of Chicago election judges has been so loose in past elections that the judges take turns switching parties for each election, an investigation by The Tribune Task Force has disclosed. . ." 

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Kusper Bars Press from Voter Files" - Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-13

"Stanley T. Kusper Jr., chairman of the Chicago Election Board, who previous declared that his office records always are open to press and public scrutiny, shut the door yesterday on reporters' requests to examine office documents. . ." 

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Poll Judge Violations Condoned in Election Office" - William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-12

"Flagrant violations of a key regulation governing the appointment of election judges have allowed hundreds of Democratic-sponsored election judges to absorb the jobs of Republican judges at polling places thruout [sic] the city, a Tribune Task Force investigation has disclosed. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Suit Seeks U.S. Court Control of Election Board" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-12

"Directors of Operation LEAP, an independent election watchdog group, yesterday sued in United States District Court seeking federal court control of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. . ." 

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "State Acts on Vote Fraud" - George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-12

"A special Illinois legislative committee was named yesterday to probe disclosures of widespread vote fraud in Chicago and to introduce sweeping new legislation aimed at curbing 'the massive vote stealing here' . . ." 

IV-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Probe Shows Plight of G.O.P. Poll Judges" - George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-11

"The Tribune Task Force's investigation of election records in the March primary election has uncovered other reasons why many precinct election boards are manned only by Democrats. Historically, Democratic officials have countered similar revelations by saying that Republican officials fail to provide the Board of Election Commissioners with enough G.O.P. judge applicants."

Sidebar: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Forgery Rampant in 7th Precinct, 24th Ward" - William Mullen and Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-11

"The numerous forgeries found in the 7th Precinct of the 24th Ward were so crudely done that in many cases names were misspelled on the ballot applications. Donald Doud, a handwriting expert, identified 17 ballot applications in this precinct as being executed by the same writer."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "U.S. to Widen Vote Probe" - Ronald Yates and William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-11

"United States Atty. James R. Thompson said yesterday his office will widen its investigation of voting irregularities to include all wards and precincts were evidence compiled by The Chicago Tribune indicates fraud. Thompson vowed to end the widespread vote fraud as revealed in The Tribune's investigation of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners."

III-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Dem-Rule Polls Kill 2-Party System" - George Bill and William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-11

"Democratic Party bosses have seized control over the appointments of Republican election judges in hundreds of key precincts and have destroyed the bipartisan election system in the large areas of Chicago, a Tribune Task Force investigation has disclosed."

II-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Election Board Infiltrated by Tribune's reporter" - William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-10

"Kusper does not want an outsider to see how his Democratic staff is handling this machinery. He doesn't want anybody to see how many thousands of nonexistent voters are registered in his files - nonexistent voters who comes from nowhere on election days to ring up Democratic votes and victories."

I-"Reveal Huge Vote Fraud" - George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

1972-09-10

"Evidence of more than 1,000 cases of election fraud in the March 21 primary election has been discovered by a Tribune Task Force reporter who worked undercover for three months in the Chicago Board of Election Commissioner's City Hall offices."

X-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Vote Canvass Fails; Ghosts Haunt Rolls" - George Bliss and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-30

"Despite an official door-to-door canvass by the Chicago Board of Election Commission-ers, the Tribune has uncovered large numbers of ineligible voters still registered to vote on Nov. 7.  Addresses of empty lots, parking areas, and abandoned buildings are being used. . ."

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Details of Vote Stealing Charges" - Pamela Zekman and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

5 City, County Patronage Workers Among Indicted

1972-10-28

"Five city and county patronage workers were among the 37 officials and Democratic Party workers named yesterday in federal indictments charging them with conspiring to steal votes in the March 21 election. . ."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "37 indicted in Vote Fixes; Total Hits 75" - George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

Saturday, October 28, 1972

"U.S. Atty James R. Thompson announced yesterday that a federal grand jury has named 37 persons in vote fraud indictments following an investigation that found up to 50 per cent of the votes cast in many precincts were obtained thru forgeries.  The eight indictments naming the election judges and precinct workers were returned Thursday and ordered supressed until yesterday while federal agents with arrest warrants sought the defendants. . ."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Subpena Ward Boss Lists" - George Bliss and Pamela Zekman - Chicago Tribune

Precinct Data Is Sought in Vote Probe

1972-10-21

"At least 15 ward committee-men have been subpenaed by a federal grand jury to produce rosters of their precinct captains and other workers.  The lists have long been closely guarded secrets in ward politics. . ."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "FBI Probes Terror in West Side Politics" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-14

"Political Terrorism in Chicago's West Side wards is under investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on orders from United States Department of Justice officials in Washington.  The federal agents are probing reports of continuing physical threats to members of a West Side voters' rights group in their efforts to assure an honest election on Nov. 7. . ."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Fraud Check Proposed by Vote Commissioner" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-13

"A member of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has threatened vote stealers with a spot check of ballot application signatures in the board offices after the Nov. 7 elections.  The unprecedented plan to thwart the historic vote fraud in Chicago was disclosed by Francis P. Canary, one of the two Democratic members, in an interview with the Tribune. . ."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Kusper Opposes Use of Marshals at Polls" - Pamela Zekman and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-11

"An angry Stanley T. Kusper Jr., chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said yesterday that he is 'unalterably opposed' to having federal marshals in polling places in order to deter vote fraud in the general election on Nov. 7. . ."

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Kusper Office Ballot Records are Missing" - George Bliss and William Mullen - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-10

"Ballot applications stored in the City Hall office of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners have mysteriously disappeared for a precinct under investigation for wholesale forgeries and double voting.  It was also revealed yesterday that board officials have been unable to account for the location of all the ballot applications for at least a dozen other precincts in wards where investigatiors have uncovered massive evidence of vote fraud. . ."

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Kusper Crony Draws Big Fee From Vote Board" - William Mullen and George Bliss - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-09

"William R. Ming, convicted tax evader and law associate of Stanley T. Kusper Jr., has collected more than $74,000 as special attorney for Kusper's Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.  The Controversial Kusper has been able to keep Ming on voucher payments from the board while the board has failed for three years to fill a budgeted vacancy for a full-time attorney at $15,000 a year.  That is less than half the $32,320.83 the city has paid Ming so far in 1972. . ."

IX-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Payrolls Padded on Voting Machines" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-05

"The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has been using maintenance on its 6,200 election machines to pad payrolls at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to taxpayers.  The Tribune has learned [sic].  The scandal-ridden Election Board, headed by Stanley T. Kusper, Jr., has $400,000 budgeted this year to pay 52 election machine servicemen for 6,200 machines - a ratio of one man for every 120 machines. . ."

Reaction: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "U.S. Probes '71 Vote in 34th Ward" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-07

"Federal prosecuters are widening their investigation of Chicago vote fraud to include a bitterly contested aldermanic allection in 1971, and separate charges involving Ald. Edwin P. Fifeiski (45th).  Government attorneys are studying affidavits by hundreds of registered voters who swore thatthey voted in the 1971 34th ward aldermanic race for losing candidate Augustus (Gus) Savage. . ."

Follow-up: Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "2 Precinct Bosses Take 5th In Probe" - George Bliss and William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-06

"Two Democratic precinct captains who recruited other Democrats to work illegally as Republican election judges in the March 21 primary yesterday refused to answer questions of an Illinois House elections subcommittee.  The two precinct bosses and an election judge who served illegally as a Republican each invoked their rights to refuse to answe questions at least 20 times. . ."

VIII-Task Force Vote Fraud Investigation: "Vote Machine Waste Told" - William Currie - Chicago Tribune

1972-10-04

"The Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners has been ignoring simple money-saving bidding procedures to award favored companies millions of dollars worth of contracts for storing and moving its voting machines and materials, the Tribune has learned.  Since Stanley T. Kausper Jr. became chairman of the board in 1969, Cook County, which pays for moving city machines during general elections, and the city have appropriated $4 million to pay eight Chicago movers for storing and moving the machines and materials. . ."