I’m writing a book about the Voting Wars since 2000, and part of the book deals with claims made about the extent of voter impersonation fraud.  In a 2008 paper for the Heritage Foundation, Stolen Identities, Stolen Votes: A Case Study in Voter Impersonation , Hans von Spakovsky cites to a 1984 grand jury report on voter fraud in Brooklyn New York: In the Matter of Confidential Investigation, No. R84-11 (N.Y. Supreme Court 1984) (first cited in footnote 6).  In 2008, I also linked to a related oped by von Spakovsky for FOX News which also relied heavily on the report.

I’ve written to von Spakovsky and to the President of the Heritage Foundation asking for a copy of the Grand Jury report.  It does not appear to be available anywhere.  There were a couple of New York Times articles on the grand jury investigation by reporter Frank Lynn.  I have not been able to track Mr. Lynn down to see if he has a copy of the report.  It might be that Mr. von Spakovsky has the only existing copy of the report. I’ve heard from two other people who have asked von Spakovsky or Heritage for the report, but who have received no response.

As I wrote to Edwin Feulner, president of Heritage, in an email on Friday: “To this point I have not yet heard a response to my request for the report from Mr. von Spakovsky.  It is important as we engage in scholarship that the sources we rely upon are available for other researchers to validate.  I very much hope you will make the report relied upon by Mr. von Spakovsky available to me.  It does not appear to be available through any other sources.”

I’ll let you know if I hear anything back about this report, and if I get the report I plan to post it so it will be generally available.