Article 2 about the failed elections office in Cascade County

Opinion Publius Valerious Publicola, a Guild

President Ronald Reagan, “Lord Acton said power corrupts.  Surely then, if this is true, the more power we give the government the more corrupt it will become.”

The Beginning of the Drama

It was an uphill battle and a set-up from the beginning.  During the 2022 campaign for local offices in Cascade County, MT, some politicians with an “R” by their name supported the Democratic candidate for Clerk & Recorder/Elections Administrator not only by endorsement but also financially.

Why would they do such a thing?  What did they know about the Republican candidate that led them to be so opposed?  That Republican candidate was not someone who was involved politically in local government; she was just an ordinary citizen in the County.  In fact, no one really knew her before she ran.  There was no attempt to get to know this candidate prior to deciding to support her opponent.

These politicians who had an “R” by their names, and the group of extreme left-wing activists they were involved with, didn’t care if the Republican candidate upheld the principles of the Republican Party.  They knew that the person who would be on their side was already in the office (Rina Fontana-Moore).  Anyone else would pose a threat to the status quo, to the system they had established within the County government for their own political and personal benefit.

No one thought the challenger had a chance, but someone had to try.  This election would be the beginning of an upheaval of enormous proportions in the local government of Cascade County, culminating in Resolution 23-62 on December 12, 2023.  The incumbent Clerk & Recorder and Elections Administrator, Rina Fontana Moore, who was running for reelection, was also overseeing the very election in which she was a candidate.  This was a significant conflict of interest, yet the County Commissioners refused to remove her from the position during the election temporarily.

There were numerous calls from citizens for the Commissioners to remove Ms. Moore from her position as Elections Administrator during the election, as they didn’t trust her.  After the 2020 election, people began to investigate things and discovered local discrepancies.  These discrepancies were presented to the County Commission but were immediately dismissed by the Commissioners and their cohorts as “conspiracy theories,” despite the presentation including clear evidence.  The Commissioners said they asked Rina Moore to step down, and she said no.  They then announced to the angry citizens that the County Commission had no authority to remove her from her position as Elections Administrator, even though she was on the ballot.  That story would change just a few months later.

When the election results came in, no one was more surprised than the challenger, Sandra Merchant.  The vote was close, but she was ahead.  Five days later, when the military and provisional ballots were counted, she was even further ahead.  That very evening Commissioner Joe Briggs, revealed his plans to take control of the office of the Elections Administrator(Resolution 23-62) in an interview with a reporter from the Electric: https://theelectricgf.com/2022/11/14/county-clerk-race-going-to-recount-officials-discussing-moving-elections-office-under-county-commission/  (Notice the date on this article.  This was before the Canvass and Rina’s announcement that she would authorize a recount.)

The Canvass was held for this election on November 18, 2022 (https://cascadecountymt.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/416 ).  At the Canvass, Ms. Moore stated that she had conceded the race and that there “was never a question” in her mind.  Even with that admission, she would authorize a recount because people needed to trust the machines, and she wanted to show that they were accurate.  She didn’t want the County to go back to hand-counting ballots.

Even though her Canvass wasn’t accurate, she said it was all human error, not the machines.  If you listen to the explanation of the percentage of absentee voters versus poll voters, you will hear a clear manipulation of the numbers to achieve those percentages, as well as the costs per ballot for absentee versus poll voters. However, that could be a discussion for another time.  Aside from the two ballots that the precinct judges were reported to have mishandled, there was no mention of an investigation to determine the origin of the extra ballots.  There were also claims of harassment that, at one point, Rina Moore said she wanted the public to know.  She said that she and Lynn, her Election Supervisor, were told that if the election had flipped in her favor on Monday, their lives would be in danger.  Both allegations were either one-sided or totally unsubstantiated.  Who told them that?  And why is she saying this in an Election Canvass?

After the recount was completed, at a cost to taxpayers of approximately $5,000, Merchant remained ahead and was declared the winner.  Bret Rutherford and his consulting company completed the recount.  Mr. Rutherford is a former Election Administrator who resigned amid questions and is a friend of Rina F. Moore and Commissioner Joe Briggs.  Montana Code 13-16-201, page 93, states that a recount can only be conducted if the candidate files a petition stating that they believe a recount will change the result and that a recount of the votes for the office or nomination should be conducted (Emphasis added).  Did this recount fit that description when the race had already been conceded?  Is proving the machines are accurate one of the reasons to hold a recount?

https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0130/chapter_0160/part_0030/section_0010/0130-0160-0030-0010.html

During the recount, citizens, already distrustful of Ms. Moore and the behind-the-scenes system in Cascade County, rallied and were present to observe. However, they weren’t allowed to participate in the recount itself.  They had the numbers for each precinct and watched closely, catching mistakes and requesting accurate counting.  One precinct was over 200 votes off the mark.  What would have been the outcome if those citizens had not stepped up to be there for this recount and catch those “mistakes”?  The outcome would probably have been very different.  How often have mistakes occurred in Cascade County elections that haven’t been corrected?

Thus began the mayhem, the drama, and the unveiling of the corruption of Cascade County Elections and Cascade County as a whole.

But wait, there’s more….

What does Resolution 23-62 mean to residents of Cascade County?

What was the result of Commissioner Joe Briggs taking the Election Office out of the control of the voters in Cascade County?

Did 16,000 voters understand that two County Commissioners removed their representative in the Election Office, AND ALSO THEIR FUTURE VOICE AND VOTE if Resolution 23-62 stands?

Watch for Cascade Paper Article 3!

For Article 1 click HERE.

Matthew 10:26 – So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be known.