DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Reports of intimidation and criminal activity have led to a state investigation into voting fraud in LaVista Hills.
A Nov. 3 vote to create the City of LaVista Hills failed by just 136 votes. Thanks to the failed vote LaVista Hills will be left an unincorporated part of DeKalb County, leaving it open for annexing by cities like Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chameblee, Doraville or Tucker.
According to the AJC, 40% of voters participated in the LaVista Hills unsuccessful referendum.
Only Channel 2 Action News was there as investigators with the GBI removed a computer and voting machine from the DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections Office on Memorial Drive.
Leonard Piazza, the second in command at DeKalb County's office of voter registration and elections, says there were very serious irregularities regarding the LaVista vote.
Piazza says in addition to voters being turned away at their polling place, voter material wasn't properly secured.
He also told Channel 2's Dave Huddleston, there was a memory card that collects citizen votes loose in the office.
According to Piazza, when he told his boss Maxine Daniels, he says she told him not to worry about it and sent him home.
Piazza is now on paid leave.
Daniels says that she can guarantee to the voters that nothing irregular happened. She blames the investigation on a disgruntled employee.
The Georgia Secretary of State has called upon the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the vote for LaVista's cityhood.
"As Secretary of State I take any allegations of elections fraud seriously. Our office has opened an official investigation of possible criminal activity during the November 3rd elections in DeKalb County. Given the serious nature of these allegations, I have asked the Center for Elections at Kennesaw State University and the GBI to assist in this investigation. I asked the GBI to assist due to the alleged theft of secured memory cards and fraud allegations. Once completed, the investigation will be presented to the State Elections Board. We will have no further comment until that time."
Channel 2 Action news dug into Piazza’s background and discovered he was fired from his last elections job in Pennsylvania. He filed a federal lawsuit against the county, claiming the action came after he raised concerns about potential corruptions.
“I wish I could say I was truly shocked but who knows – so much has happened sadly in DeKalb County,” said Allen Venet, the chairman of LaVista Hills ‘Yes.’
WSBTV
