Charlie Webster, the outgoing Chair of the Maine Republican Party, continues his quixotic campaign against Maine's voting laws. In 2011, Webster led an effort to repeal Maine's law that allows residents to register and vote on election day (the repeal was eventuall overturned by a people's veto.)
In an interview with Don Carrigan of WCSH-TV on Tuesday, Webster again claims that voter fraud may have occurred last week, and that in "dozens" of towns across Maine:
CARRIGAN: You still think that we have a system that's full of fraud.
WEBSTER: I do. I'm going to do a mailing right off. In some parts of the state there were - for example, in some parts of rural Maine, there were dozens, dozens of black people that voted election day. Everyone has a right to vote, but nobody in town know anyone that's black. How did it happen? I don't know, but we're going to find out.
The population of Maine is about 95% white, and in rural parts of the state, it's much closer to 100%. Webster did not provide the names of the towns in question.
Watch beginning at Mark 15:05:
The "Sussman" to whom Webster refers is Donald Sussman, a successful hedge fund manager and husband of Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-01). Sussman is a major donor to the Maine Democratic Party and other liberal groups in Maine.
UPDATE: The Lewiston Sun Journal is reporting that Webster now regrets black voter comment and is backing off his plan to send postcards to new voters:
Outgoing GOP Chairman Charlie Webster said Thursday he still believes there is ample evidence of voter irregularity in the Nov. 6 election, but he regrets his reference to black voters.
He said at that time he planned to send out thousands of postcards to the addresses of those who recently registered to vote, believing that if they were fraudulent, the postcards would come back as undeliverable by the postal service, thereby providing evidence for his accusations.
But after the controversy that followed his comments, Webster said Thursday he was leaning toward not sending the postcards.
“At this point, I probably am not going to do it,” he said. “I regret the comment when I said ‘black,’ “ Webster added. “I’m not racist.”