Conservative 'Robocalls' tricked voters in last election

[damngrumpy]

The party is trying to distance itself by saying a rogue operator did this. I have a problem with
that. Phone banks and who gets access is tightly secured and I don't think the tooth fairy did it
so it leaves the operatives in specific riding's. The party is also in a serious problem. If they did
not do this they have to explain their lack of security and how peoples private information was
handled. Membership lists are not just handed out there is requirements that have to be met.
One would be a candidate running for a nomination and so on.
More than one riding and apparently more than one message was delivered during those calls.
This was far more organized that people are letting on.
If they are guilty subverting democracy is a serious offence and no one would want to be part
of that on paper.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

,,. how peoples private information was handled.

But you don't need private information to do this. Voters lists are public information, lawn signs are public information, that's all the data you need. What else you need is people to cruise the neighborhood noting the addresses where Liberal signs are displayed, correlating that with the voters list, looking up phone numbers in public phone directories, creating a database of phone numbers of known Liberal supporters, doing the data entry, composing and recording the messages, arranging and paying for a contract with a call centre service like RackNine, uploading the data, and configuring the software to start up on a certain date and time. It's inconceivable that a single low level rogue campaign worker could have done this alone, it takes money and organization and planning. It had to be somebody with authority to direct people, and authority to spend campaign funds, or some zealous private citizen with far more resources than most of us have.

 

[JLM]

To play "Devil's Advocate" would it be possible for a computer whiz/nut job and a little knowledgable about political demographics to compile a list of names, phone #s and political affiliations, from sources like Facebook, Twitter etc. attach it to a message and set it all up for automatic dialing, just like all the other computerized sh*t that comes over the phone? I don't doubt that both Harper and Boob Rae are capable of nefarious sh*t, but for the small number of voters involved it seems kind of childish.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

To play "Devil's Advocate" would it be possible for a computer whiz/nut job...

Sure, but it's far more work to do it that way, the data would be less reliable--a Liberal lawn sign is a pretty reliable indicator, Facebook and Twitter posts are less obvious and I doubt a computer could do the necessary contextual analysis, the whiz kid would have to hack in to everybody's profile and select those who've listed their preference--, it'd be pretty tough for one person to do it across multiple constituencies, and it wouldn't have been traced to an Edmonton call centre whose CEO admits it was his systems that were used to do it. I'd say that explanation has a non-zero but vanishingly small probability.

 

[petros]

It's up to 30+ ridings now.

 

[Goober]

It's up to 30+ ridings now.

From what I understand a Party - or the 2nd place candidate can go to court on close races - one I believe a Con won by 30 votes - and petition based upon evidence - to have the election overturned. Now we wait for just one person to bring this to court.

The the real shinola will then just begin to hit the fan.

Public case- Journalist galore - News at 11 - Why heads will roll, asses will be burned and that is just the start.

Under the Elections Act - Civil penalties can be applied as can Jail Terms. Now it will be much more interesting when some high powered names come out. Denial in the press, but when they go to court, Oh Oh, different place buckey, much different.

Ah the drama is just starting. There will be a mass scramble to protect certain persons and others, well they are going down with the ship.

 

[Tonington]

How long I wonder until the owner of the account at Racknine is identified? Things will start rolling after that.

 

[Goober]

How long I wonder until the owner of the account at Racknine is identified? Things will start rolling after that.

One phone was traced to a disposable cell in Montreal - Others may have gone thru Dakota in the US - then it gets tricky.

 

[Tonington]

One phone was traced to a disposable cell in Montreal - Others may have gone thru Dakota in the US - then it gets tricky.

Yes, but the account that the calls were made on behalf of by Racknine must have a person or organization to bill for services. That leaves a trail.

 

[Goober]

Yes, but the account that the calls were made on behalf of by Racknine must have a person or organization to bill for services. That leaves a trail.

If it is in the US then I understand it can be quite difficult.

 

[Tonington]

If it is in the US then I understand it can be quite difficult.

Well, the owner is on record saying he knows who the account belongs to:
Robocalls contributed to Liberals

Using telephone billing records and Racknine server logs, Elections Canada investigators identified the Racknine account holder who sent out the calls.

Matt Meier, owner of Racknine, said he was unaware one of his customers was involved in the calls until contacted by Elections Canada in November.

“We couldn’t possibly have known that it was Racknine that was the initiator of the fake calls,” he said. “I had no idea what the content of the calls were.”

The company does not monitor outgoing calls made by customers through the automated service, Meier said. He estimates 10 million or more phone calls from about 200 accounts went out during the campaign.

Meier and his company are co-operating fully with the probe, he said.

He said he knows whose account was used for the calls, but could not reveal the owner because of client confidentiality and concerns about interfering with the investigation. He said it was someone “down East” — meaning Ontario or Quebec.
​

 

[JLM]

Yes, but the account that the calls were made on behalf of by Racknine must have a person or organization to bill for services. That leaves a trail.

How about John Doe paying cash up front? If I was into nefarious activities and had money that is what I'd do! :lol:

 

[Goober]

How about John Doe paying cash up front? If I was into nefarious activities and had money that is what I'd do! :lol:

We are talking at least 100 K - 18 ridings confirm they received calls - live from staffers - Oh people will talk - The RCMP makes an offer - we can charge you and the Crown asks for jail time - Ain't no judge gonna turn that down. Hell to pay. Messing with the basics of an election - Brings the whole process into disrepute. Oh I can see the Crown now - what a tale he/she will weave of the attacks on the most important right we have - The Vote.
Why if televised the Crown Prosecutor may even get an Oscar:lol:
Oh yes, I see slammer time a comin for some.

 

[JLM]

Has Boob Rae been ruled out as a suspect? He seems to be making as much noise as anyone! :lol:

 

[Tonington]

Has Boob Rae been ruled out as a suspect? He seems to be making as much noise as anyone! :lol:

Holy crap, got your aluminum foil thinking cap on? Bob Rae orchestrated a campaign to cost Liberals support, to decimate the party, so that Ignatieff would step down, and Rae could take his place, to call on Elections Canada for by-elections, that even if his party won would still have the Liberals in third place?

That's a bit of a stretch...:lol: That's almost Truther level of conspiracy.

 

[petros]

From what I understand a Party - or the 2nd place candidate can go to court on close races - one I believe a Con won by 30 votes - and petition based upon evidence - to have the election overturned. Now we wait for just one person to bring this to court

One in MB is already plans to have it overturned.

 

[Goober]

Has Boob Rae been ruled out as a suspect? He seems to be making as much noise as anyone! :lol:

The Cons won 1 seat by 30 votes - Now if they can get enough Liberals I assume - to state they received calls, got frustrated did not vote and that totals around the 30 mark - if the Judge accepts the evidence he can throw the election results out for that riding.Bingo - By Election - Then the loser - Party appeals to the next level. Prov - Federal courts- Prov Supreme courts - even the SCOC - This is going to haunt Harper for years. All the opposition needs is one seat overturned.

154 seats is a tie in a 308 seat house - Harper has 166.

So in those riding targeted what were the election results - these were all tight ridings going into the election.

 

[DaSleeper]

How many "chads" are needed????;-)

 

[Goober]

How many "chads" are needed????;-)

Listened to Lowell Green's stand in today - Normal partisan hacks - read Conservatives called in - their main comments wer along the lines of the Liberals as sore losers - Guess they think the law should apply only when???? it serves their own interests.

My opinion as i mentioned is 1 court case overturning an election result. Found a list of riding targeted and some riding were real close.
4. Etobicoke Centre (ON) Cons 21 644 – Libs - 21 618 - 26 votes.

We will see a court case.

 

[JLM]

There is one thing I'm trying to get my head around. Sending voters to the wrong polling station to steal votes!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't that about as effective as pulling teeth through the A$$hole?