EC Republicans promote Nader
Students collect signatures in exchange for Bush tickets
Erik Borg and Sam Kramer
Issue date: 10/21/04 Section: Campus News
Recent statewide allegations of impropriety by Republican officials and supporters regarding the felonious collection of approximately 3,228 signatures to get Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the state ballot included UW-Eau Claire students, according to a former student.
At the Aug. 18 Bush rally in Chippewa Falls, former student James Taylor, sophomore Alex Edland and junior Kyle Vorachek helped circulate a petition to Bush supporters in an attempt to take votes away from Sen. John Kerry in exchange for tickets to the Bush rally, Taylor said.
"The object was to get Nader on the ballot," the self-proclaimed Republican and Bush supporter said.
Edland, a member of the Eau Claire College Republicans, said a friend, UW-Madison student Aaron Schlegelmilch, had introduced the opportunity to do work for the Bush campaign at the rally in exchange for tickets. Schlegelmilch referred him to another Madison student, Edland said. But Edland could not remember the woman's name.
Schlegelmilch said he referred Edland to Madison student Patrick Welch.
Welch refused to comment Tuesday when questioned about his role in the event.
Taylor and Edland both said they did not know what work they would be doing to receive tickets, and were only informed of the petition for Nader upon arriving at the event.
Vorachek, a Nader supporter, said he was aware the three of them would be collecting signatures for Nader before the event, but did not know it would be done in exchange for tickets.
The three said once at the event, they met with two men who showed them how to collect signatures for a petition to get Nader on the ballot. The men told them to remain quiet about their personal political affiliations.
At the Aug. 18 Bush rally in Chippewa Falls, former student James Taylor, sophomore Alex Edland and junior Kyle Vorachek helped circulate a petition to Bush supporters in an attempt to take votes away from Sen. John Kerry in exchange for tickets to the Bush rally, Taylor said.
| "The object was to get Nader on the ballot." -James Taylor former student |
"The object was to get Nader on the ballot," the self-proclaimed Republican and Bush supporter said.
Edland, a member of the Eau Claire College Republicans, said a friend, UW-Madison student Aaron Schlegelmilch, had introduced the opportunity to do work for the Bush campaign at the rally in exchange for tickets. Schlegelmilch referred him to another Madison student, Edland said. But Edland could not remember the woman's name.
Schlegelmilch said he referred Edland to Madison student Patrick Welch.
Welch refused to comment Tuesday when questioned about his role in the event.
Taylor and Edland both said they did not know what work they would be doing to receive tickets, and were only informed of the petition for Nader upon arriving at the event.
Vorachek, a Nader supporter, said he was aware the three of them would be collecting signatures for Nader before the event, but did not know it would be done in exchange for tickets.
The three said once at the event, they met with two men who showed them how to collect signatures for a petition to get Nader on the ballot. The men told them to remain quiet about their personal political affiliations.