Group Soliciting Libraries Accused of Destroying Democrat Registrations

A political consulting firm owned by the former head of the Arizona Republican Party, which contacted several libraries regarding voter registration drives, has come under scrutiny after a former employee told authorities that thousands of voter registration forms submitted by Democrats were destroyed.

Oregon officials are now investigating Voters Outreach of America, a group run by the Nathan Sproul-owned Sproul & Associates, which received $500,000 from the Republican party. The Republican connection reportedly was first made by a county librarian in Medford, OR, who was one of several librarians to receive a FAX from Sproul requesting the library solicit voter registration on behalf of the nonpartisan group America Votes. Librarian Meghan O’Flaherty performed research on Sproul and made the link. "I was just being a good reference librarian and checking the facts. We want to be sure someone who claims to be nonpartisan is nonpartisan," she told CBSNews.com.

America Votes president Cecile Richards insists her group has no connection to Sproul and sent a letter ordering Sproul to desists from using its name. Democratic senators Leahy (VT) and Kennedy (MA) have demanded attorney general John Ashcroft immediately initiate an investigation into Sproul’s activities.

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