FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Scotty Boman
scottyboman@hotmail.com
http://scottyboman.org
313-247-2052
August 4, 2013
City Clerk Candidate, Boman, Makes Formal Complaint Against the Detroit City Clerk
Detroit, MI – City Clerk candidate Scotty Boman filed a formal complaint against the incumbent with the Michigan Department of State on Friday August 2nd. Boman is hopeful that at least some components of the complaint will result in needed changes. Here are the practices Boman has enumerated:
1. The placement of “Janice Winfrey City Clerk” campaign signage on and near the Detroit City Clerk satellite offices which are being used as de facto polling stations. This being done while similar signage by opponents is prohibited.
2. Electioneering inside the polling stations, by Detroit Department of Elections staff in the form of “instructions” that promote one candidate (Janice Winfrey) for the office of City Clerk. These “instructions” are distributed with the ballots to each voter along with the ballot. Her name and office for which she is running are displayed in large heading size font. Opposing candidates were not permitted to distribute any literature in the vicinity of the “Satellite office.”
3. Continuing to have early voting at a location that is restricting access to some voters. At least one officer at the WCCCD Northwest campus, has implied that the campus is only open to students and staff, by telling one person (me) that I was regarded as a trespasser prior to me informing her that I was a Professor there.
4. Janice Winfrey has permitted the continuance of early voting at a location (WCCCD Northwest campus) where at least one of her opponents (me) was singled out and blocked from distributing campaign literature where the literature of candidates for other offices was permitted.
5. She has continued to have a WCCCD Police Officer staff the WCCCD Northwest campus Satellite office, after said officer assaulted an opposing candidate (me) in order to stop him from handing out campaign literature where the literature for other candidates was permitted without similar restraints.
The phrase “early voting” was used above to describe onsite absentee voting at the Satellite Offices. Boman concedes that this common phrase is informal and not legally precise.
Boman commented, “I hope this complaint yields results. I find it especially disturbing that Winfrey would continue to have a person staff a location who has carried out a well-publicized politically motivated violent attack against one of her opponents (under color of law). The inside of the office is under Winfrey’s control, so this amounts to an approval of such conduct. How can my supporters or I feel safe campaigning in such an atmosphere? How can an election’s results be considered valid in such a climate of duress?”
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Scotty Boman. 4877 Balfour Road. Detroit, MI 48224.
