REUTERS
July 25, 2000
US REFORM PARTY'S HAGELIN ACCUSES FOE OF FRAUD
WASHINGTON - Reform Party presidential candidate John Hagelin said Monday that rival Pat Buchanan committed "massive election fraud" and should be disqualified from the fissured party's presidential primary.
Hagelin, a physicist who also is running for president on the Natural Law ticket, said Buchanan improperly acquired Reform Party primary ballots for at least 262,314 Republican supporters and contributors in 10 states.
"The list was too large," said Hagelin, who called for a party probe last week. Hagelin said he submitted only 9,169 names from those same states....
Party rules allow candidates to request ballots on behalf of supporters, but require that nonparty members make an individual request either through the party or candidate.
Hagelin said his foe has taken advantage of that provision, which was designed to broaden support for the party.
"I certainly will not allow this process to be stolen by what could be massive voter fraud," Hagelin told a news conference.
Hagelin called for the internal audit last week, which was approved by the national party's executive committee in a 7-2 vote. The nominating committee has since spent days reviewing the ballot requests submitted by both campaigns, demanding Buchanan release supporting information for his lists by 5 p.m. Wednesday, something the Buchanan campaign has yet to do....
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