# Just got this e-mail; it looks damned suspicious.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2000, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935 "2000-11-13T01:03:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Origato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b2d939/32.png) [@Origato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Origato)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/1 "2000-11-13T01:03:46Z")
I don’t remember signing up for any Bush campaign lists; Where did this come from? Dear xxxx xxxxx (my name), From: Don Evans, Chairman, Bush-Cheney Campaign This is an urgent message to supporters of Governor George W. Bush and Secretary Dick Cheney regarding the situation in Florida. It is now clear we must raise money to fund the recount effort in Florida. Governor Bush won the vote on Election Day, a victory confirmed by a recount. Now, the other side is seeking yet a third count by hand. There is a reason why ballots are counted by computer and not by hand. The expense of the recount effort must be funded immediately. Please send a check in any amount that you can up to $5000 today. These contributions, in keeping with Governor Bush’s “full disclosure” policy on financial contributions, will be posted on the Bush-Cheney website. Any funds not spent will be returned on a pro rata basis. Remember: 1. Checks must be personal, not corporate. 2. Checks should be payable to Bush-Cheney Recount Fund. 3. Mail or overnight check to: Donald L. Evans 301 Congress Avenue 2nd Floor/Bush-Cheney Recount Fund Austin, Texas 78701 1. These funds do not count against your annual personal federal giving limit of $25,000. Thank you for your friendship and support. If you have friends that can help, please forward this message to them immediately. We thank you for all that you did to help elect Governor Bush and Secretary Cheney. We also thank you in advance for your willingness to help us during this important time in the life of our country. ----------(print and use form below)----------- BUSH-CHENEY RECOUNT FUND REPLY FORM ALL CONTRIBUTORS PLEASE COMPLETE Corporate and foreign national contributions are not permitted under federal law. Only Personal funds are permitted. Contributions to Bush-Cheney Recount Fund are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Full name Spouse Name Address City State Zip Home Phone Office Phone Fax Phone E-Mail Check Contributions The contribution to Bush-Cheney Recount Fund drawn on check #\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ of the account named as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, represents our personal funds and is not drawn on an account maintained by an incorporated entity. * * * Signature of Original Contributor * * * Signature of Spouse (must be signed by both spouses) - Please make check payable to: Bush-Cheney Recount Fund - Please mail or overnight express to: Donald L. Evans 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 200 Austin, TX 78701 - Please do not send more than $5000 per person. - In keeping with Governor Bush’s policy of “full disclosure” of financial contributions, your name will be posted as a contributor to Bush-Cheney Recount Fund on the Bush-Cheney website. - Any monies not expended for this purpose will be returned on a pro rata basis. * * * If you wish to unsubscribe from the eChampion mailing list, simply click here: [http://mail.echampions2000.com/GoNow/a14064a26493a61107252a0](http://mail.echampions2000.com/GoNow/a14064a26493a61107252a0) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/2 "2000-11-13T01:07:09Z")
DON’T send these swine a dime. I seriously doubt that this is legit. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/3 "2000-11-13T01:27:22Z")
I agree, send it to me and I will make sure it is spent wisely. ---
**Author:** ![Zor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/848f3c/32.png) [@Zor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/4 "2000-11-13T02:03:10Z")
Aside from the no brainer that this is obviously a fraud, I just have to pick on this: > [@](#): > > … the other side is seeking yet a third count by hand… Can we all roll our eyes in disgust now? Anyone who cares to educate himself knows this is the first recount requested by the Gore campaign… Oh well, have you considered forwarding this e-mail to the FBI or something? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/5 "2000-11-13T04:20:50Z")
On the news tonight, I saw that the Bush campaign was sending fundraising requests out by e-mail… ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Finkelstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@Myron\_Finkelstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Finkelstein)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/6 "2000-11-13T04:21:18Z")
Actually that email is probably legit, believe it or not. I’ve got a hotmail account that I signed up to all the parties’ newsletters this year just to see what kind of crap they’re spewing. (I know, weird hobby watching crap spew). That email came from the eChampions2000 folks which until at least Nov 7 was the Bush campaign site. They use the same return email address anyway. How they got your email address is another question. ---
**Author:** ![McKenna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@McKenna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McKenna)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/7 "2000-11-13T04:39:34Z")
Uhhhmmm…if the state of FL or county governments do a recount of their own volition, ain’t they the ones responsible for paying for it? Tell 'em to ask Schwarzenegger. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/8 "2000-11-13T05:01:27Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Zor \* Aside from the no brainer that this is obviously a fraud, > [@](#): > > And how do you know that? > > > [@](#): > > > > … the other side is seeking yet a third count by hand… > > Can we all roll our eyes in disgust now? Anyone who cares to educate himself knows this is the first recount requested by the Gore campaign… Are you really trying to claim that Gore is not seeking a third count? ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/9 "2000-11-13T08:20:32Z")
> [@](#): > > If the state of FL or county governments do a recount of their own volition, ain’t they the ones responsible for paying for it? Yep. But look a the key wording, their talking about the ‘effort’, the ‘cause’, the ‘constitution’. Their not talking about the act of counting the ballots themselves. Both sides are headed for a court fight. A court fight means lawyers- many lawyers. And we all know what a bunch of lawyer’s want- a bunch of money. The note seems so confusing that it’s almost obviously from a political campaign. They put in one pinch truth and mix well with oversimplification. _My_ favorite line is “Any funds not spent will be returned on a pro rata basis.”. Sure, what they really mean is, ‘we’ll need to bicker about how much that might be for a few years, delay it indefinitely to the point that you’ve forgotten about, and then keep it ourselves.’. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/10 "2000-11-13T08:36:54Z")
Uhh, feel free to make grammer corrections on your own. It’s one of _those_ posts. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/11 "2000-11-13T10:43:06Z")
It think it _is_ legit. Check this out: [http://www.georgebush.com/legalfund.html](http://www.georgebush.com/legalfund.html) ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/12 "2000-11-13T23:27:02Z")
Assuming that this isn’t fraud, is this kind of thing legable? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/13 "2000-11-14T05:12:03Z")
It seems it is legal, and apparently a campaign finance loophole. Slate had an article on it: [http://slate.msn.com/Code/chatterbox/chatterbox.asp?Show=11/13/2000&idMessage=6480](http://slate.msn.com/Code/chatterbox/chatterbox.asp?Show=11/13/2000&idMessage=6480) ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/14 "2000-11-14T06:55:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zor \* > \*\*Aside from the no brainer that this is obviously a fraud, I just have to pick on this: > > > [@](#): > > > > … the other side is seeking yet a third count by hand… > > Can we all roll our eyes in disgust now? Anyone who cares to educate himself knows this is the first recount requested by the Gore campaign… > > Oh well, have you considered forwarding this e-mail to the FBI or something? 😃 \*\* Well, actually, they got that right. You’re reading it as if this was the “third by-hand recount”, but what this guy (who’s committing mail fraud, and should be reported, on a quick aside) meant was that it was that this would be the third actual vote count (which it would be). ---
**Author:** ![Zor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/848f3c/32.png) [@Zor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zor)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/15 "2000-11-14T08:35:22Z")
Hey, that message just went on CNN, looks like it is legit. Bummers… I didn’t check the account though, so be careful… ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/16 "2000-11-14T19:07:39Z")
Call 'em. > [@](#): > > _From the Greater Austin Business White Pages_: > > **Bush Exploratory Committee** 301 Congress Av > …512 344-3500 > > **Bush For President Inc** 301 Congress Av > …512 637-2000 301 Congress is a big building, so it could be someone else, but I doubt anyone could lease space for this single con on such short notice. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/17 "2000-11-14T20:30:11Z")
This is legit. Both camps are soliciting money to fund their legal battles in Florida. Bush is limiting donations to $5000 from U.S. individuals only. Gore will take donations of any amount–I don’t know if he’s limiting himself to donations from U.S. individuals only. ---
**Author:** ![flynnstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ebca7d/32.png) [@flynnstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flynnstone)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/18 "2000-11-15T01:43:51Z")
It seems crazy that this could be legal, but since it was on the news, I’d say it’s legit! I suggest never sending anyone money because of an email. It could easily be a fraud-and hard to prove it too. But come on, I mean they won’t even let you send over $5,000 . . . how thoughtful. ---
**Author:** ![Zor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/848f3c/32.png) [@Zor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zor)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/19 "2000-11-15T02:45:52Z")
I missed **Ryan** ’s post… anyway, Bush has gained a substantial amount of votes in full or partial manual recounts in 6 Republican counties. It isn’t quite fair for us to all yell at Gore getting recounts in 4 Democratic counties. As for “third count”, the central issue is that this “third count” is completely legal, and I believe both candidates owe it to their supporters to push for this count in all counties… ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-got-this-e-mail-it-looks-damned-suspicious/40935/20 "2000-11-15T06:09:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flynnstone \* > \*\*It seems crazy that this could be legal, but since it was on the news, I’d say it’s legit! I suggest never sending anyone money because of an email. It could easily be a fraud-and hard to prove it too. But come on, I mean they won’t even let you send over $5,000 . . . how thoughtful. \*\* Holy crap, seems like I stand corrected. I can’t believe, though, that they would circulate this through a “pass this on!” email, like so many urban legends. If you _did_ plan to send money, I would make SURE that this address/whatnot are correct. It could be a guy pretending to be part of the legal fund (which apparently does exist), and trying to snag the cash for himself. Oh well, always pays to be skeptical about crap like this.