Ali Akbar and Tim Pawlenty
The GOP operative who is alleged to be Karl Rove's bisexual lover states in a video that he has, in fact, worked with Rove. We also have learned that Ali A. Akbar has ties to possible election fraud in Texas, where Rove built his political base.
Election fraud in Texas? Gosh, no wonder it appears these two get along famously.
These latest details come from top-notch research at The Liberal Grouch blog. The Grouch, whose real name is Bill Schmalfeldt, has been closely following the story since Alabama lawyer Dana Jill Simpson released a letter last week that she had written to Robert Bauer, chief counsel for the Barack Obama re-election. The letter was a reaction to a bizarre rant in Fox News, in which he made a number of clearly false allegations about Bauer and Simpson, who is best known for her role as a whistleblower in the political prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
In the letter, Simpson denied Rove's charges that Bauer had once represented her and confirmed Bauer's statement that the two had never met. Simpson went on to say that she thought Rove attacked out of fear that she was about to reveal information regarding his personal life, including the alleged relationship with Akbar.
Known mainly for his role as president of the National Bloggers Club, an umbrella group for conservative bloggers that grew from the Andrew Breitbart network, Akbar recently was outed for having a criminal record. But Simpson's letter took the level of scrutiny to a whole new level.
As Schmalfeldt asked in a recent post, how did Akbar go so quickly from being a small-time criminal thug to a prominent post within the GOP, one where he has his picture taken with such luminaries as Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty?
That's the kind of rise that seemingly could only happen with the help of a powerful booster. Is that booster Karl Rove? And is the boost driven by a sexual relationship between Akbar and Rove.
Schmalfeldt uncovered a YouTube video where Akbar acknowledges having worked for Rove. You can catch the video at the end of this post, and the key part comes at about the 2:17 mark.
As for Akbar's ties to possible voter fraud, Schmalfeldt found a December 2007 post from a Web site called Libertarian Republican. Akbar, at the time, was working on the John McCain presidential campaign, and he apparently was willing to openly discuss shady election tactics:
The John McCain Campaign is facing a possible scandal from a Texas Campaign Staffer John McCain Campaign Staffer Ali Akbar from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, is alleged to have discussed using voter fraud techniques. This occured in an extended conference call within 1 month ago, with two other political operatives, one a volunteer for Ron Paul for President in Nevada. The staffer is in charge of a very key McCain for President campaign area. The staffer has been contacted by "higher-ups" in the McCain camp asking him to explain his statements.
More details emerging . . .
According to one sourve in the DFW area Akbar has had past problems with the law including credit card fraud. And that he might in fact be on parole.
Just breaking . . .
The McCain campaign at the highest levels has had an emergency conference call on the matter.
The articles goes on to say:
Statement from one of the two witnesses Joey Dauben of South Dallas: I sat in on a meeting in my downtown Dallas office and heard an ecampaign staffer with the John McCain campaign – Ali A. Akbar – openly discuss ways to manipulate, rig and otherwise “take” an election
Schmalfeldt traced Akbar to Ellis County, Texas, where he worked for a news Web site called the Ellis County Observer. Akbar's work apparently involved covering up the misdeeds of a former police chief named Michael Meissner, who was charged with posing as a woman and soliciting photos of underaged boys.
Meissner worked with an Ali Akbar, who was on probation for credit card abuse and theft, to suppress online records of his misdeeds. Akbar was an executive editor and webmaster at the Observer, but was accused by proprietor (Joe) Dauben of endorsing voter fraud tactics.
For a young guy, Ali Akbar has built quite a tangled web around himself. Will it all wind up at Karl Rove's doorstep? Jill Simpson says the answer is yes. And The Liberal Grouch is building a stack of evidence pointing in that direction.
