February 26, 2007

"Questions hover over recount"

"Since I introduced myself to the mysterious Gerald Feather during the first day of ballot recounting last week, he has come up to me twice during breaks, offering a friendly hint of a smile and a few words of small talk.

"When this is all over, I'll buy you a cup of coffee or lunch and tell you, hmm …" he said Wednesday, which I optimistically interpreted as meaning he would tell me why the heck he is the front man for a second recount.

Cuz he sure ain't spilling any beans now.

When Janet Nguyen lost the Feb. 6 special election for county supervisor by seven votes to Trung Nguyen, it was no surprise that she reached into her wallet for a $1,200-per-day recount. But when elections law expert Fred Woocher filed a second request on Feather's behalf, the head scratching began.

Why have two parties pay for the same recount? Who was funding the Woocher effort, since it's said he costs tens of thousands of dollars just to get involved with an election?

Feather said he voted for Janet and volunteered on her campaign. Janet, a Garden Grove councilwoman, appointed Feather's daughter to the city's Traffic Commission. Members of Janet's team told me Woocher might come on board before he actually did – but have since ardently denied that Janet, a Republican, has anything to do with the effort of Woocher, a Democrat.

"I just want to see an honest recount," Feather told me."

Posted by Randy Riddle at February 26, 2007 05:06 PM