Bringing Out the Dead? There’s More to District 1 Runoff Than Voter Fraud Allegations.

More than once in recent days, Dave Levinthal’s had to warn City Hall Blog commenters to stay on topic and stop shouting, “Voter fraud!” in the District 1 Dallas City Council runoff pitting Delia Jasso against Justin Epker. Seems there’s been a lingering question about whether 65-year-old Juana Rodriguez voted May 9 — but only because, well, she’s apparently been dead since February, which the Epker campaign says it discovered while going door-to-door in advance of the runoff election.

Unfair Park contributor and former Observer‘er Matt Pulle dutifully retraced their steps and came up with one of Rodriguez’s kids, but no Juana else. A woman identifying herself as her daughter told Matt, “I’ve been advised not to speak. I’m not giving out any information.” Jack Fink at KTVT-Channel 11 confirms that Dallas County Elections Supervisor Bruce Sherbet has forwarded a complaint to Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins’s office. But Matt lathers up a far sudsier soap opera in which Domingo Garcia, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia and Dallas County Commissioner Ken Mayfield have supporting roles.