SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Democrat Board Member of the St. Joseph County Voter Registration Office kicked REAL News Michiana’s Clifton French out of the public office while he was investigating potential fraud of taxpayer dollars.
RNM was at the office on the 4th floor of the County City building to speak to a Democrat employee of Voter Registration whom may have knowledge of the potential fraud. RNM is not naming that employee at this point, because it’s unclear what information she has, if any at all. RNM was already in the building to attempt to speak to the mayor and his staff and decided to approach the Voter Registration Office since Clifton was already there.
The unnamed employee did yell insults and what sounded like profanities across the office, attacking the credibility and character of REAL News Michiana and a citizen of the county, while on the clock and being paid by tax dollars. RNM recorded the interaction, some of which is garbled and hard to understand. RNM is not releasing that audio since some of that employee’s voice can be heard and potentially identified. RNM is not trying to implicate her in any crime.
Quickly after that, the Democrat Board Member of the office, Muhammad Shabazz, approached Clifton French.
RNM to Shabazz: “I’m working on a story.”
Shabazz: “Work on it some other place. Don’t come here.”
RNM: “So, I can’t come to the Voter Registration Office?”
Shabazz: “If you want to register to vote. If you have business.”
Another member of the office approached and politely explained several people were obviously upset and the situation was quickly getting out of hand. RNM’s Clifton French then decided it was best to leave.
The entire interaction, which occurred just before 11:00am on Tuesday, lasted about one minute and thirty seconds.
RNM filed a complaint against Shabazz and the unnamed employee with the county human resources department on Friday.
Shabazz is currently the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former Republican employee of the Voter Registration Office, you can read more about that here.
