COPELAND DENIES VOTE BUYING; LAWMAKER DEMANDS FEDS FINISH PROBE

State Rep. Gene Copeland said Thursday he didn't buy any votes and called upon federal authorities to complete an investigation into allegations of voter fraud so he can clear his name.

"I did not pay anyone. I would not pay anyone," Copeland said from his vacation home in Gulf Shores, Ala.

The New Madrid Democrat was in Gulf Shores during a weeklong break from the legislative session.

Copeland said he didn't have to buy votes to win in his heavily Democratic district.

Copeland, who has served in the Missouri House for nearly four decades, criticized Democratic Party leaders for not publicly coming to his defense.

Campaign finance reports filed with the state show his campaign committee paid $6,400 to former state representative Fred DeField of Charleston for campaign work shortly before the November election. Copeland said DeField was in charge of hiring drivers to transport voters to the polls.

"We had 14 to 16 drivers," he said. "We hire drivers in every town."

He said the campaign paid for drivers and assistants, whom he called "door-knockers."

Copeland said the job of the assistants was to knock on doors and ask people if they needed a ride to the polls.

Copeland said his campaign typically has paid $400 to $500 for a driver and an assistant. His campaign has taken voters to the polls for years, he said. But voters weren't paid for their votes, he said.

Copeland said he called DeField after the allegations surfaced and was assured that no vote-buying occurred.

The U.S. attorney's office in Cape Girardeau and the FBI have been investigating allegations of voter fraud in Mississippi and New Madrid counties since they surfaced last November. But Copeland said neither he nor his lawyer have been contacted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Ferrell or anyone else connected to the investigation.

"They know I am not involved," he said. "I just want my name cleared."

Copeland said the allegations of wrongdoing came from David Barklage of Cape Girardeau. Barklage directs the House Republican Campaign Committee.

The day after the November election, Barklage charged that some voters were paid in cash or coupons for liquor to show up and cast a Democratic ballot.

Copeland said that almost daily he receives apologies from some GOP lawmakers, who insist they weren't a party to making the allegations.

Barklage, who runs a campaign consulting firm, works for Republican House leaders including Minority Floor Leader Mark Richardson of Polar Bluff.

Barklage said Thursday that the House leadership has voiced no reservations or asked him to stop investigating.

He said Republicans haven't accused Copeland himself of buying votes; the allegations centered on campaign workers.

But Barklage said last November that widespread voter fraud helped Copeland defeat Charleston Republican Lanie Black in the 161st District race. "You are talking about the last vestiges of a machine that turns out voter fraud to win an election," Barklage said at the time.