Police officer to be investigated for alleged voter intimidation
DENTON — An investigation is under way into allegations that a Denton city jailer told a detainee on Election Day that he would be released if he voted for John McCain, Denton police authorities said.
Police Chief Roy Minter and his supervisors will decide in the next week on possible disciplinary action against Chris Saunier, a nine-year veteran, police Capt. Lenn Carter said. Saunier was not on duty Wednesday and a telephone number for him could not be found.
Aruto Ntel, 25, who recently became an American citizen, said he was pulled over for speeding Nov. 4 en route to voting for the first time. Ntel was arrested on an outstanding warrant from McKinney for driving without insurance, Carter said.
At the Denton City Jail, a jail employee — who was later identified by closed-circuit video as Saunier — dangled a key in front of Ntel’s face, Ntel said.
“He told me, ‘If you vote for McCain, I’ll let you out right now,’” Ntel, a senior at Texas Woman’s University, said in a story for Wednesday’s online edition of The Dallas Morning News. “The officer was laughing, but I didn’t think it was funny. He should have been acting like a professional. He shouldn’t have done that.”
Saunier has been placed on restricted duty and reassigned within the police department, Carter said.
After posting bond, a friend took Ntel directly to the voting booth where he said he voted for President-elect Barack Obama.
State House candidate who lost by 20 votes calls for recount
DALLAS — A Democrat who lost a state House seat to the Republican incumbent by 20 votes filed a request for a recount Wednesday with the Texas Secretary of State’s office, a state official said.
A win for Democrat Bob Romano could threaten the re-election of Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick by giving Republicans and Democrats an equal number of House members, with 75 apiece. Republicans currently hold a narrow 76-74 majority.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Linda Harper-Brown saw her lead over Romano for the Irving seat shrink to 20 votes out of more than 40,000 cast after provisional ballots were counted last week in the race in Dallas County.
Austin attorney Buck Wood, who is representing Romano, said a favorable recount for his candidate would shake up the Legislature.
“I think once it’s tied, things change. It’s really amazing,” Wood said. “I can tell you that any time there is this kind of close situation, it affects people’s psychology about who they will vote for and what they will do.”
The secretary of state has 48 hours to determine whether the request meets proper statutory requirements and then notify the county, department spokesman Randall Dillard said.
The recount is expected to cost about $4,000, which Romano’s campaign or the Democratic Party must pay for, Wood said. If he comes out ahead, the money is refunded.
Harper-Brown and the Dallas County Republican Party did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
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