This afternoon, Martha Coakley’s campaign accused the Scott Brown campaign of cheating in today’s special election. The specific accusation involved ballot tampering.

The press release:

For Immediate Release: January 19, 2010

Contact: Alex Zaroulis (617) 549-0358

Campaign Manager Kevin Conroy:

We’ve received several independent and disturbing reports of voters across the state being handed ballots that are already marked in favor of Scott Brown.  This is obviously a serious violation, and our legal team is taking immediate steps to protect the integrity of this election.

We do not yet know why this is happening, but you and everyone you know needs to be aware of the situation so that you can carefully inspect your ballot.  If a vote has already been marked, you must return the ballot to the elections official, demand a clean ballot, and call our Voter Protection Hotline at 617-351-6866.
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Problem is, the original version of this press release was dated yesterday, January 18th 2010. A full day before the polls even opened. Here is a screenshot from before they corrected the date (courtesy Big Government):

Response from the Brown campaign. Not sure if this is in its entirety; it was all I’ve been able to find:

“Reports that the Coakley campaign is making reckless accusations regarding the integrity of today’s election is a reminder that they are a desperate campaign. In fact, news reports point out that today’s accusation was a pre-dated, in the bag political attack. Furthermore, Senator John Kerry accused Brown supporters of intimidation and bullying — a tactic taken directly from his own 2004 playbook. The reality is that Massachusetts voters will determine the outcome of this election despite political attacks leveled by Martha Coakley and national Democrats.” — Daniel B. Winslow, Counsel for the Scott Brown for U.S. Senate Campaign

CLICK HERE to view a screen shot of the pre-dated attack.

In 2004, Kerry’s Campaign Team Sent A Guidebook To Their Colorado Staff Telling Them To Launch A “Pre-Emptive Strike” If “No Signs Of Intimidation Techniques” Are Reported. “If no signs of intimidation techniques have emerged yet, launch a ‘pre-emptive strike’ (particularly well-suited to states in which there techniques have been tried in the past).

* Issue a press release

i. Reviewing Republican tactic used in the past in your area or state

ii. Quoting party/minority/civil rights leadership as denouncing tactics that discourage people from voting

* Prime minority leadership to discuss the issue in the media; provide talking points
* Place stories in which minority leadership expresses concern about the threat of intimidation tactics
* Warn local newspapers not to accept advertising that is not properly disclaimed or that contains false warnings about voting requirements and/or about what will happen at the polls” (Kerry-Edwards 2004, “Colorado Election Day Manual: A Detailed Guide To Voting In Colorado,” 11/04)

As you might expect, none of the claims of ballot fraud could be verified. No big surprise there. The Massachusetts Secretary of State has dismissed the allegations outright.

As one commenter put it, “These people (Coakley campaign) are so stupid they couldn’t fall out of a boat”

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More from Hot Air: Here we go: Scott Brown’s cheating, declares Coakley camp

Big Government: Coakley’s Press Release Charging Ballot Fraud Was Written Yesterday

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-Cnation