New Demands Made for End to Voter Probe

A contingent of Latino congressmen and advocacy groups demanded an immediate stop Wednesday to the inquiry into the contested race between Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) and former Republican Rep. Robert K. Dornan in the latest in a series of attacks by House Democrats on the congressional investigation.

The investigation--sanctioned by the House GOP leadership--was blasted as a “biased, political witch hunt” intended to scare the growing numbers of Latino voters. And the Latino lawmakers who spoke threatened to attempt to stop House legislative action if the inquiry proceeds.

“The Republican plan has become crystal clear,” said Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). “Attack the underpinnings of Hispanic empowerment by attacking a Hispanic woman elected to Congress. . . . Create fear in the community, and by doing so, create a chilling effect on Latino voters.”

The concerted Democratic effort began late last week, when House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) denounced the Dornan-Sanchez inquiry, and Democrats on the House Rules Committee unsuccessfully sought to cap the time and spending allotted for it. In a symbolic gesture Monday, House Democrats voted against a bill that funds the legislative branch because the measure includes money for the committee conducting the investigation.

The assault continues today, with Democratic members of the Women’s Congressional Caucus conducting a press conference to join in calling for an end to the investigation.

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Dornan’s attorney, Michael Schroeder, who is also chairman of the California Republican Party, condemned efforts to turn the inquiry into a racial matter.

“We believe it is regrettable but not surprising that the Democratic leadership in the Congress has elected to wage an O.J. [Simpson]-style defense and play the race card,” he said.

The House Oversight Committee has been examining voter lists from Orange County’s 46th Congressional District to determine whether noncitizens did vote in the election. If the committee uncovers extensive voter fraud, a new election could be scheduled.

Wednesday’s news conference was sponsored by the Hispanic Congressional Caucus and was attended by several congressmen and 12 leaders of national Hispanic organizations. Many denounced the investigation for arbitrarily singling out Latinos, regardless of citizenship status.

“Legally registered voters whose only crime is that they have the same surname as an immigrant are being investigated and harassed as a result of the deliberate and irresponsible actions of Congress,” said Raul Yzaguirre, president of the National Council for La Raza.

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The nine-month, $300,000 investigation into whether voting by noncitizens led Sanchez to her slim 984-vote margin threatens the “constitutional rights of the Latino community--the right to privacy and the right to vote,” said Georgina Verdugo, counsel for Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Menendez said House Democrats will attempt to halt legislative action as soon as this week, provided action on the balanced-budget agreement is settled. Otherwise, they will save the move for September, when Congress returns from its summer recess.

Some of the speakers at the press conference warned Republicans that there will be a political price to pay for the election inquiry.

“I have news for Republicans,” said Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y). “Hispanics are here to stay. They are a growing economic force and, as the Republicans are finding out, they are a growing political force.”

Menendez contended that the investigation has an ulterior motive--to “lay the foundation to get rid of” the so-called motor voter law, which requires states to allow registration at various state and local agencies.

Many Republicans have criticized the law as being fraught with opportunity for registration fraud.