NY23 EXCLUSIVE: Hoffman asks Obama for Justice monitors to prevent vote fraud

2:45 p.m. ET BREAKING: The campaign of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman is preparing to request that President Obama send monitors from the Justice Department to prevent vote-fraud efforts in the crucial Nov. 3 special election in upstate New York's 23rd district.

UPDATE 2:55 p.m. ET: Concerns about the potential for vote fraud in NY23 were sparked by revelations of forged ballots in Troy, N.Y. A press statement from the Hoffman campaign is expected within minutes.

UPDATE 3:10 p.m. ET: Meanwhile, reacting to news that police were called when a reporter tried to ask questions of a liberal candidate backed by the national GOP, Hoffman campaign spokesman Rob Ryan said in a telephone interview:

"The only thing the police need to investigate in this race is if Dede Scozzafava is impersonating a Republican."

UPDATE 3:25 p.m. ET: Press release from Hoffman campaign HQ:

HOFFMAN:DO THE RIGHT THING
President should defund ACORN and send DOJ monitors to 23rd CD

Doug Hoffman, the conservative Republican for Congress (NY-23), today called on his Democratic opponent, Bill Owens, to request that President Obama "take immediate action to defund ACORN" and place Justice Department monitors in the district to prevent the Working Families Party from stealing this election. Owens is in New York City today to attend a fundraiser thrown on his behalf and featuring President Obama.
Doug Hoffman said: "Today, I am calling on Bill Owens to do the right thing and, when he is with President Obama tonight; ask him to take immediate action to defund ACORN and block the flow of any and all federal funds to the scandal ridden organization and its numerous subsidiaries. In addition, Bill Owens should request that Justice Department monitors be put in place to insure that ACORN's political arm in New York State, the Working Families Party, does not steal this election. In Troy, New York, just South of the 23rd Congressional District, a special prosecutor is currently investigating the forgery of absentee ballots in September's Primary elections and the Working Families Party is the focus of that investigation. Its common knowledge that ACORN and the Working Families Party have absolutely no respect for the law and I know I am the one candidate they want to defeat."
Both Bill Owens and Dede Scozzafava have strong connections with the Working Families Party. Assemblywoman Scozzafava was on their line last November, sharing the ballot with then candidate Barak Obama, and Bill Owens is leading their ticket this November. Since 2002, Scozzafava’s husband Ron McDougall has made over 60 donations to the Working Families Party.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: Obama will not speak, but will appear at NYC fundraiser for NY23 Democrat Owens:

President Obama is attending a fundraiser for Democrat Bill Owens this afternoon in New York City, but he will not be speaking, the White House press office clarified today.

UPDATE 4:25 p.m.: Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs, Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit and Moe Lane of Red State have commentary on N.Y. vote-fraud case involving ACORN-connected Working Families Party. More at Memeorandum.

VIDEO: Jeri Thompson promotes Hoffman campaign on Fox News Neal Cavuto show.

MORE COVERAGE OF NY23 HERE