A GOP official who made his name influencing the 2000 presidential vote recount has been sent back to South Florida by the Republican National Committee to oversee the troubled process in Broward County. Joseph Brendan Quinn is best known for allegedly leading a fight outside the office of the Miami-Dade supervisor of elections in 2000—known as the “Brooks Brothers Riot”—that some believe was responsible for the termination of votes being counted in the county. Quinn arrived in Fort Lauderdale from New York last Friday as three key races went to recounts. He’s reportedly spending his time trying to win the PR battle by making friends with observers, members of the media, and law enforcers. “It worked then, and they are thinking it might work well again,” said Brad Blakeman, a Bush campaign operative.
