Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis issued the following statement today after a jury found Paul Schurick guilty of conspiring to violate Maryland election laws, attempting to influence a voter’s decision through the use of fraud, and failing to provide an authority line on campaign material. The verdict is a result of deceptive automated phone calls made on November 2, 2010 intended to suppress minority and Democratic voter turnout.

Voter suppression has a long and disgraceful history in our country, and the dirty tricks we’ve seen in Maryland aren’t new. The right to vote is precious and a critical part of our democracy. Paul Schurick and the Ehrlich campaign sought to take away that right for some of our fellow citizens. Having been a target of this misleading automated-call, today’s verdict is a step towards stopping voter suppression in Maryland.

The only way we can prevent these perverse practices from undermining our democratic process is by bringing these despicable tactics into the light of day and ensuring that every voter is respected, every vote is counted and every person has the confidence that their vote will matter.