A veteran Republican campaigner who began his political career by helping to persuade a judge to reject hundreds of mail-in ballots, is organising an “army” of volunteers for President Donald Trump’s campaign.
The aim of the effort is ostensibly to monitor voting in Democratic-leaning areas on Tuesday.
Mike Roman, Mr Trump’s director of Election Day Operations, is a former White House aide from Pennsylvania who gathered claims in 1993 of voter fraud, resulting in a court ruling overturning election results and getting his candidate seated in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
It’s a strategy that Mr Trump has been advocating on Twitter and on the campaign trail.
For months the president has been trying to undercut the validity of mail-in ballots, a long-used method of voting that was prioritised this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the past week, Mr Trump has also suggested that any votes tabulated after election day are suspect, even as his campaign has opposed plans by election officials to start counting mail-in ballots early.
Mr Roman, who previously ran a secretive in-house intelligence unit for prominent Republican donors Charles and David Koch, has organised what the campaign claims is 50,000 poll watchers.
Many of them registered through an “Army For Trump” website that asks his supporters to “enlist” in his re-election fight. The campaign also has hired full-time staff in at least 11 battleground states to organise the effort, several of them young lawyers.
“Our elections day operations are designed to make sure that everyone that is legally entitled to vote has the opportunity to vote, once,” Erin Perrine, the Trump 2020 director of press communications, says in a video aimed at recruiting volunteers.
“We all know that the Democrats will be up to their old dirty tricks on election day to make sure President Trump doesn’t win. We cannot let that happen.”
Mr Trump's campaign portrays its election day operations effort as traditional poll-watching long carried out by both parties. But Democrats and some Republicans who have followed Mr Roman’s political career are worried that Mr Trump’s team is interested more in sowing doubt about the vote than safeguarding it.
“Mike Roman has made many unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and rigging, he has a history and general reputation as someone who stirs things up, so his presence in any election day issues gives me pause,” said Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine.
Trump 2020 spokeswoman Thea McDonald called such assertions “laughable.” She said the campaign’s “rule-abiding poll watchers” are simply trying to “ensure a fair election”.
Both campaigns have zeroed in on Pennsylvania, nicknamed the Keystone State, as the battleground state that might decide the election. Mr Trump said on Sunday that when election night was over, “We’re going in with our lawyers”.
“I don’t think it’s fair that we have to wait a long period of time,” Mr Trump said. “They should have put their ballots in.”
A controversial career
Mr Roman, who declined to comment, has experience doing what Mr Trump describes.
He began his political career running ballot security operations in Philadelphia for Republican Bruce Marks, who campaigned for the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1993 and lost narrowly to his Democratic opponent.
Writing a June blog post on Mr Marks’ website, Mr Roman and Mr Marks claimed that because control of the Pennsylvania State Senate was critical, “the Democratic machine’s operatives descended on the District to steal the election”.
Their legal team later convinced a federal judge that there were so many ballots in Latino neighbourhoods with irregularities that he threw out hundreds of ballots, overturning the result and sending Mr Marks to a State Senate seat.
Mr Marks, who has made his legal career representing wealthy Ukrainian and Russian clients and briefly defended Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign, said Mr Roman’s working-class background gave him an innate understanding of ballot-box politics.
“He is not some Ivy leaguer with a bow tie, he learned what it is like to be exposed to elections and face voter fraud on the street,” said Mr Marks.
“If there are problems on election day and after, I am ready and willing to help. Mike is a great guy.”
In the 2008 presidential election, Mr Roman caused controversy by promoting a video of two members of the New Black Panther Party standing outside a polling station in Philadelphia, one of them holding a billy club.
Though no violence occurred, the video was cited by those on the right as evidence of Democratic voter intimidation, while those on the left criticised it as an attempt to stoke racial divisions during the election of the nation’s first black president, Barack Obama.
The New Black Panther video raised Mr Roman’s profile within the Republican Party, and he soon landed a job at the Koch network investigating Democrats, environmental activists and others on the left. A 2014 tax return for the Koch-supported Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce Inc lists Mr Roman’s title as vice president of research, and says he was paid more than $285,000 in annual salary and benefits.
In 2016, the Kochs disbanded the intelligence unit and Mr Roman went to work for the Trump campaign organising poll-watching operations. After Mr Trump won, Mr Roman landed a job in the office of then-White House counsel Don McGahn as director of special projects and research, though it is not immediately clear what his duties entailed.
Mr Roman left the White House in 2018 and soon shifted back to Mr Trump’s campaign. There he has led an aggressive effort that hasn’t waited for election day to begin challenging the voting process.
In Pennsylvania last month, a Trump campaign lawyer submitted surveillance photos of three voters who appeared to be depositing more than one ballot in an elections drop box. Under state law, voters must return their own ballots unless they are disabled or otherwise unable to do so for themselves. However, elections officials said the Trump campaign produced insufficient evidence to prove the voters in the photos were violating the law.
The Pennsylvania complaint appears to be part of a wider national strategy by Mr Trump and his allies to raise accusations of voter fraud and challenge ballots in areas with high rates of registered Democrats.
In Texas, Republicans sought to toss out almost 127,000 votes cast from drive-through lanes in the Democratic stronghold of Harris County, which includes Houston. Both the Republican dominated Texas Supreme Court and a federal judge appointed by President George W Bush rejected claims that drive-through voting is illegal.
Some Democrats and election watchers also worry that Mr Trump's allies may seek to intimidate voters headed to the polls.
In Minnesota last week, the head of the Minneapolis police union forwarded an email to members seeking 20 to 30 retired officers to help serve as “poll challengers” at precincts in “problem” areas of the city. The message was signed by William Willingham, whose email signature identified him as a senior legal adviser and state director of election day operations for the Trump campaign.
“Poll Challengers do not ‘stop’ people, per se, but act as our eyes and ears in the field and call our hotline to document fraud,” said the email, a copy of which was obtained by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “We don’t necessarily want our Poll Challengers to look intimidating, they cannot carry a weapon in the polls due to state law. … We just want people who won’t be afraid in rough neighbourhoods or intimidating situations.”
The Trump campaign later tried to distance itself from the request for retired cops, but the email reinforced fears among voting-rights advocates that the Trump campaign could revive old voter-suppression tactics.
In 1981, the Democratic Party sued the Republican Party after a disputed state election in New Jersey where Republican officials hired off-duty police officers to patrol Black and Latino neighbourhoods wearing armbands that read “National Ballot Security Task Force.”
Without admitting any wrongdoing, the Republican Party agreed to a national consent decree the following year to forgo such tactics. However, at the behest of the Republicans a federal judge allowed that agreement to expire in 2017.
In August, Mr Trump himself suggested his campaign might send law enforcement officials to voting sites.
“We’re going to have sheriffs, and we’re going to have law enforcement, and we’re going to have, hopefully, US attorneys, and we’re going to have everybody and attorney generals,” Mr Trump said during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
Federal law prohibits intimidation at the polls and makes it illegal for any federal officer to order “troops or armed men” to polling places, unless needed to “repel armed enemies of the United States.”
But such statements from the president have stoked concerns among voting-rights advocates that some supporters of Mr Trump may take it upon themselves to show up outside polling sites in military style-gear, brandishing firearms.
Reed Galen, a veteran political consultant who worked for John McCain’s presidential bid before leaving the Republican Party after Mr Trump’s nomination, said he was concerned about Mr Roman’s involvement with Mr Trump’s elections day operations after hearing about his reputation as a local operative in Philadelphia.
“Here you have the Army for Trump that might be official, enrolling people through the texting mechanism, but there might be tens of thousands of other people taking their own initiative” and may become violent, said Mr Galen.
“This is what this guy does and it is bad news,” he said.
BLACKBERRY
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Jurassic%20Park
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RESULTS
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BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Results
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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AL%20BOOM
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
