Kathleen Knox ends her campaign for
auditor, but her name remains on the ballot.
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ALAMEDA COUNTY | Kathleen Knox, the candidate for Alameda County auditor-controller who was charged earlier this month with six felony counts of voter fraud, has withdrawn from the race less than three weeks from Election Day.
“I am officially and respectfully withdrawing my candidacy for Alameda County Auditor-Controller,” Knox said in a statement Friday. “The distractions of the current events have become overwhelming and my focus now needs to be entirely on my family, my business and my private life.”
Knox also thanked her supporters and acknowledged all the voters she met over the last two months of her short campaign to replace long-time auditor Patrick O’Connell, who announced in February he would not seek re-election.
“I continue to believe in strong and honest government; this includes the electoral process for which I am so grateful to have been a part of. As the first woman to run for this position and the first to challenge this position in almost 30 years, I only hope that I am not the last. I encourage other to participate and to make a difference.”
A pre-trial hearing in Alameda County Superior Court held Thursday in Oakland was rescheduled for June 18 following charges Knox misrepresented her residency in Alameda County. Investigators said Knox actually lives in Contra Costa County, but listed an assisted-living facility she runs in San Leandro on campaign forms last March. She was charged with registering as an ineligible voter, perjury and fraudulent voting and plead not guilty.
Knox, who is the daughter of former Alameda County Supervisor Robert Knox, however, will continue to appear on the June 3 ballot along with the only other candidate in the race, Alameda County Chief Deputy Auditor Steve Manning. If Knox were to win the primary, but found ineligible by the court, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors could make an appointment followed by a special election, as early as November.
Anon 1:31 a.m.,
Why? Knox knows nothing about the office
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I hope that Knox will reenter the race. I hope that the Attorney General will investigate the books for Alameda County.
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Someone needs to investigate the Alameda County DA's Office. That's what is really suspicious. What kind of DA constantly abuses their office for personal gain of political endorsements and capital? They took almost laughably quick action on Knox in order to make sure she didn't get in and expose misdeeds. That's really obvious. I agree with what Steve wrote: Don't vote for Alameda County candidates who are running unopposed. This goes double for the rotten DA.
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MW,
Whats up…are you now on the side of corrupt politicians?
Ms. Knox is FAR from an outsider…she and her father have “deep ties” to Alameda County Politics…including one of your favorite people…The Lockyer's.
Ms. Knox and her father have a very scandal ridden history. Just search the internet. Had Ms. Knox been elected before the truth were known…Alameda County would have been faced with another Nadia Lockyer type problem.
In my opinion, I think someone is making a serious effort to clean up the political corruption that has gone on WAY too long in Alameda County.
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MW, very good analysis!
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By MW:
NOTE: I am saying the following as someone who did not and does not have an opinion on Kathleen Knox, but instead as someone who is well aware of: one, how extremely corrupt Alameda County government is; and two, also the extreme degree that the present insiders in AC government will go to keep outsiders from getting in, and to also make sure that contrary viewpoints and opinions are kept from being heard.
Where Kathleen Knox actually lived, and whether her real and actual place of residence was in compliance with election rules, was actually totally irrelevant to the Alameda County DA's office,
More specifically, the only real and important issue to the lawyers in the DA's office was inventing an excuse – er, excuse me, finding a “reason” – to keep an outsider, in other words someone who was not a member of the “club,” from entering and invading the big organized crime ring of insiders, illegal backroom fixes, and phony and choreographed “investigations” that composes Alameda County government.
So of course they had the charade in which the present Auditor, and very conveniently and at the very last moment, suddenly decided not tor run for re-election, and then his Deputy suddenly announced he was running for election as Auditor.
However Kathleen Knox, an outsider, by then declaring herself in the race for Auditor threatened the “right” of the “king” to leave the throne to his “son.” But the insiders in AC government definitely could not allow an outsider into the palace, since an outsider might not have sufficient respect for the sacred cows, the old boys network, the unwritten rules, and the tradition of intentional blindness to corruption and fraud when engaged in by the big boys, the insiders, and the politically protected.
So therefore the lawyers in the DA's decided Kathleen Knox would not be allowed to become Auditor, and then they went looking for a reason to back up their conclusion. More specifically, if the issue of legal residency had not been available, then they would have kept on looking until they found something else.
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Black Woman Executive is that you Mary?
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Knox lied about her residency and that's a felony. The evidence is pretty clear that she did lie. She better cop a plea. You can't live in one county and run for office in another unless you are running for congress. Then you only have to live in the state.
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let's see, knox listed her address at her business in san leando, when she lives in danville. she told investigators she lived in a 2 bedroom apartment, but workers and the current resident said that wasn't true. documents from her kids school in danville showed she lived in danville.
she did plead not guilty to 6 felonies, including filing false nomination papers, perjury by declaration and voter fraud. she sure looks guilty to our county district attorney and this blogger. at best she is a liar.
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5:11 “Looking at someone's address in a lower level race like this is unheard of.”
Are you nuts? Checking out those details of your only opponent is the very first thing any smart candidate would do.
Your point is so naive its laughable.
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5:59, you are correct. SHADY!
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The current Auditor did not give notice that he was not going to run to anyone except his Assistant who conveniently filed the day of the deadline. The Elections people extended the filing date for a few days which is how Katie got on the ballot. This all stinks rotten!
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Looking at someone's address is a lower level race like this is unheard of.
The big question is who has it out for Katie? Or is is someone like ex supervisor Mary King who feuded with Katie's dad ex sup/ ex Alameda County Treasurer Bob Knox.
This stinks of revenge
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She will be convicted of more than one felony. You can't fight fraud by committing fraud.
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Agreed with 11:27 pm!
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This is all so stupid. The Establishment wanted her out of the race. Your legal residence is where you vote. What's on your tax return and drivers license Conspiracy to keep the good ole boy network in place. Kudos to Katie for trying to upset the apple cart.
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And this is why we need voters to have proof of identification verifying where they live.
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Okay, well she's withdrawn from the race and she's stepped down. What else is there to talk about?
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Black Woman Executive says: May 18, 2014 at 10:32 AM
Knox knew the rules. Coming from her family background she should have been well aware of the tricks that incumbents use to get their chosen one into office.
You simply wait until the last minute, then announce you aren't going to run.
Ms. Knox, knowing that possibility, should have temporarily taken up residence in San Leandro for the required time… just in case.
What, the residence time is ? 30 days ?
The if there was no retirement she could have moved back to Danville or where ever..
She would have been fully legal.
How completely stupid of her to think she wouldn't have been discovered? That alone questions her intelligence and fitness for the job.
Rule one for her opponent, Check out all details of her forms for her candidacy.
My goodness, in her case all you needed to do was Google her name and married name. Took all of 60 seconds to uncover a smoking gun. The with a little follow up she is nabbed.
Again, with her family background, how could she be so stupid and naive. Now she is in a legal mess.
Inexplicable how she could make such a attempt, thinking no one would know.
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I completely agree that this is highly suspicious behavior by county government. Remember that, because of the hijinks to slide in their own candidate without opposition, She had to act quickly.
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Nuf said.
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Hmmm…she can't remember staying overnight in San Leandro, her contra costa county neighbor said she lives in contra costa, her San Leandro neighbor said that she visits San Leandro for business only and the tenant in the unit that Knox claimed to live in said that she has lived alone there for the last 5 years. I think that the papers and the DA got this one right. I did my research and concluded that Manning was the best candidate for the job before this news broke. There's no doubt about it now
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I read the rules and her own statements made to the newspapers. She is clearly wrong and I would not waste my vote on a future felon.
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From what I have read she didn't do anything wrong. Read the rules yourself. Don't just assume that the newspapers and the DA are telling you the truth, Wake up! Inform yourself.
I am still going to vote for her because I am disgusted with the way the auditor-controller rigged the election and the DA helped.
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When candidates do crazy stuff like this, they end up letting down alot of people who supported them
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