E-Mail from Rep. Will Hartnett on Bettencourt Audit

Greg, sorry to get back to you so late. I have received a huge number of emails this week on a variety of topics.

I’ll do my best to answer your questions. I do not recall ever saying anything like “front-loading the research”, but then I don’t quite know what that means. Unquestionably, I did not learn about the audit report until some time after it was issued. My recollection is that the only thing I ever asked Mr. Bettencourt or his staff to prepare for me was a list of voters affected by the Nigerian fraud issue. Also my recollection is that my contacts with Mr. Hammerlein were fairly late in the process, focusing mainly on the Nigerian issue.

My only information about alleged illegal voting was the pleadings, the evidence and information supplied by the attorneys, and the audit report. Although I was very interested in the audit report, I felt that I had to make my own review directly from the evidence.

My personal opinion is that the audit report was a normal function of Mr. Bettencourt’s office, was appropriate, and was useful to the parties and the public in the unusual circumstances of this election contest.

Let me know if I can provide you any additional information. Will

Received March 10, 10:34 a.m. CST.