Thursday, October 31, 2002

Associated Press

ORLANDO — An FBI agent has interviewed Florida Democratic chairman Bob Poe about a phone call he received urging him to cast his absentee ballot days after the Nov. 5 election.

Poe said Wednesday that an agent from the FBI's Orlando office interviewed him by phone for about 15 minutes on Tuesday about the call he received late last week from a man purporting to be with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride's campaign.

Unaware of Poe's position, the man asked the state Democratic chairman to cast his absentee ballot Nov. 10 — five days after Election Day, Poe said.

FBI spokesman Sara Oates in Tampa said Wednesday she couldn't confirm that an investigation into the call has been initiated. The FBI generally does not discuss ongoing investigations.

Poe said Wednesday that he was under the impression that there was an investigation.

"The Justice Department, through the FBI, is looking into it," Poe said. "My understanding is that they're cooperating with ... other law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of this."

U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, wrote U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday asking for an investigation.

Poe had written Ashcroft over the weekend also asking him to investigate.

Both the Republican Party of Florida and the campaign of Republican Gov. Jeb Bush have denied involvement and support an investigation.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2002