Addresses Cited by Dornan Prove Valid

Former U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan, who is seeking to overturn his congressional defeat by claiming voter fraud, alleges that as many as 700 votes in last year’s election are “suspect” because they were cast by large groups of voters who share common addresses.

But a review of the allegation turned up a large number of registered voters, including U.S. Marines, nuns, senior citizens and even some Dornan supporters.

“I don’t have time to comment about Dornan’s charges,” said Sister Leticia, the mother superior at St. Francis Home, a board-and-care facility for the aged and infirm in Santa Ana whose 18 Catholic nuns--16 Democrats and two Republicans--made Dornan’s list.

But Dornan’s claim prompted an angry retort from another nun, who did not want to be identified.

“He’s just a sore loser,” said the nun, pointing her finger at a reporter. “Several of the sisters here vote. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” said Dornan attorney William Hart, who is helping the former congressman investigate claims of voter fraud. “It was strictly the number [of voters at St. Francis Home] that caught our attention. We’re not saying that Catholic nuns, or families, are suspicious.”

In seeking to help prove that voter fraud by noncitizens, particularly Latinos, caused him to lose his seat in Congress to opponent Loretta Sanchez, Dornan filed an affidavit last month with a congressional committee questioning more than 700 “suspect” votes. The list contained 127 examples of large numbers of voters sharing the same address.

Those 700 votes, along with Dornan’s claims that 1,789 illegal votes were cast in the 46th Congressional District in November, helped convince the House Contested Election Task Force to give Dornan subpoena power to gather documentation of voter fraud. The subcommittee voted to hold a formal hearing on his claims.

Bill Schweitzer, the attorney hired by the Republicans on the committee, said the Republican-dominated subcommittee did not rely solely on the claim of the 700 “suspect” votes before deciding to investigate further. Among other things, members were swayed by the ongoing voter fraud investigations by the Orange County district attorney’s office and the secretary of state.

Dornan’s representatives say they came up with the 700 “suspect” votes by locating 127 addresses throughout the 46th District and finding instances where at least six voters had registered from each address

Times reporters interviewed residents at 60 of the addresses listed by Dornan as suspicious. In each case, the residents confirmed there were multiple registered voters living at the locations. There was no evidence of illegal or nonexistent voters.

Many of those who learned from The Times they were on the list were outraged, including some Vietnamese American voters, many of whom have been Dornan’s most loyal constituents because of his anti-Communist beliefs. Doan Bui, who shares a home with five other family members who vote, responded with an obscenity.

“Just because we live in Santa Ana doesn’t mean we’re all . . . illegal,” said Bui, who said he voted for Dornan.

But not everyone shared Bui’s opinion.

Anthony Quan of Anaheim, whose home was used as a residence by 10 voters, said he will continue to support Dornan despite his attacks on immigrants.

“I don’t care if they’re targeting immigrants,” Quan said. “I voted for Dornan because he helped my family” on some immigration matters.

Times staff writer Lily Dizon, correspondents John Canalis and Lori Haycox, and Dick Lewis, a Newport Beach computer analyst, contributed to this story.