Ashcroft, Justice Dept. Probing Democratic Registration in Battleground States

Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney David Iglesias in New Mexico launched a statewide criminal task force to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the upcoming presidential election. The probe came after a sheriff who co-chairs President Bush's campaign in the state's largest county complained about thousands of questionable registrations turned in by Democratic-leaning groups. "It appears that mischief is afoot and questions are lurking in the shadows," Iglesias told local reporters. But Democratic Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, named to the task force to allay concerns that the probe was politically motivated, said the investigation is unnecessary. "This is just an attempt to let people know that Big Brother is watching," Vigil-Giron, New Mexico's chief electionsofficial, said in an interview. "It may well be aimed at trying to keep people away from the polls." The probe is one of several criminal inquiries into alleged voter fraud launched in recent weeks in key presidential battlegrounds, including Ohio and West Virginia, as part of a broader initiative by U.S. Attorney General John D. Ashcroft targeting bogus registrations and other election crimes. [more