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Elections board asks Cuccinelli to probe Jim Moran’s son after leaked video

Posted at 5:08 PM, Oct 26, 2012
and last updated 2012-10-26 17:10:45-04

RICHMOND, Va (WTVR)- The State Board of Elections voted unanimously to have Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli investigate Patrick Moran — and others — after a video surfaced of Moran in what appears to be a discussion about committing voter fraud.

The decision came down in a rare emergency meeting late Friday afternoon.

The son of the Democratic congressman resigned from his father’s campaign, according to CBS News, after a video was leaked by a conservative group which says it recorded Patrick Moran talking with an undercover volunteer about a voter-fraud scheme.

“What we’re now seeing is a video that is going to go viral,” says CBS 6 political analyst, Dr. Bob Holsworth. He watched the video and says it’s not clear if Moran was serious or just joking, but, goes on to say the release of such a video comes at a bad time. “This kind of electoral sting is going to get a lot of attention,” says Holsworth.

It’s going to get a lot of attention not just because Virginia is a battleground state, but, because of other cases centered on alleged voter fraud, Holsworth tells CBS 6.

Just last week, Colin Small, who was contracted by the Republican Party to register voters, was arrested, accused of tossing voter registration forms in a Harrisonburg dumpster.

Wednesday, the SBE requested Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli investigate this case and look into other voting irregularities throughout the state. “This is a larger issue that needs to be addressed,” says one board member.

Dr. Holsworth says, with the integrity of voting in question, poll workers will have to be extremely vigilant on Election Day, especially with the voter ID law in place, which allows you to use a bank statement or utility bill for identification. “Some of these forms of ID have the potential to be fraudulently produced,” says Holsworth.

In a statement to CBS News, Jim Moran’s campaign says this situation was clearly an error in judgment.

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