NEWS RELEASE: MARCH 31, 2005

RALPH NADER FORMALLY ENDORSES
VELVET REVOLUTION'S "DIVESTITURE FOR DEMOCRACY"!

Consumer Advocate and Two-Time Presidential Candidate is second
2004 Presidential Candidate to join VR's Campaign for Transparency
in America's Voting Process!

Joins Green Party Presidential Candidate David Cobb and
23 U.S. House Members in supporting campaign!

Independent Presidential Candidate, Consumer Advocate and Corporate Crusader Ralph Nader, has joined Green Party Presidential Candidate David Cobb and 23 U.S. House Members in sending letters to America's 9 major Voting Machine companies formally endorsing Velvet Revolution's "Divestiture for Democracy" Campaign.

In his letters, Mr. Nader decries the "Millions of Americans [who have] lost faith in our elections" due to the secret counting of our public votes by these private companies and declares it "shameful" that "our country has lost its moral authority" in the process.

His letters call for the companies to adopt the standards insisted upon by Velvet Revolution in our February 21st letter to the companies, and challenges them to meet their "ethical obligation and...responsibility to do the right thing."

As well, in a letter to Velvet Revolution Co-Founder, Brad Friedman, Mr. Nader -- who has taken on Corporate America before, and won! -- vows to "support the next step of divestiture in the event these companies fail to do the right thing."

VR welcomes both Mr. Nader's support and his strong endorsement of the DV4D campaign as the list of 2004 Presidential Candidates who have come on board continues to grow!

Identical letters were sent by Mr. Nader to the leaders of all nine of America's major Voting Machine Companies. Here is a copy of the letter sent to David Hart of Hart InterCivic:

Here is the Mr. Nader's letter to VR:

VR has been asking the citizenry to join us in the campaign by donating to VR (we are currently funded solely by citizen contributions!) and by sending an email to the companies stating their support for this campaign (we've set up a page to send email to all 9 companies in less than a minute!).

For more information on Velvet Revolution's "Divestiture for Democracy" campaign, please write to DV4D@VelvetRevolution.us or Media may contact publicist Ilene Proctor at (310) 271-5857.

###