Michael Connell facts for kids

Michael Louis Connell (born November 30, 1963 – died December 19, 2008) was a skilled consultant for the Republican Party. He was asked to provide information for a court case about possible issues with the 2004 U.S. presidential election. He was also involved in a case about many missing emails. Mr. Connell died when the plane he was flying crashed on December 19, 2008.

About Michael Connell

Michael Connell was born in Illinois. He lived in Bath Township, which is close to Akron, Ohio. His company, GovTech Solutions and New Media Communications, focused on website design and IT.

During the 2004 election, his company managed the website for a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. This group was involved in political activities.

Working with Elections

Mr. Connell was an expert in creating websites. He designed a website for the Ohio Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell. This website showed the results of the 2004 election as they were counted. At that time, Ken Blackwell was also helping with the Bush-Cheney reelection effort in Ohio.

In September 2008, Mr. Connell was asked to provide information for a court case in Ohio. This case looked into claims that voting in the 2004 presidential election might have led to civil rights issues. Lawyers stated that Mr. Connell did not provide testimony or documents about the system used in the 2004 and 2006 elections.

Concerns for Safety

In July 2008, a lawyer named Cliff Arnebeck sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General, Michael Mukasey. Mr. Arnebeck was the main lawyer in a case called King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell. He asked for protection for Michael Connell. Mr. Arnebeck said that Mr. Connell had received threats.

He wrote that a reliable source told him that Karl Rove had threatened Michael Connell. The threat was that if Connell did not take responsibility for election issues in Ohio, his wife might face legal problems. Months later, Mr. Arnebeck said his source warned him that Mr. Connell's life was in danger.

Plane Crash and Investigation

On December 19, 2008, Michael Connell died in a plane crash. He was 45 years old. He was flying a single-engine 1997 Piper Saratoga private airplane. The crash happened in Lake Township, Ohio, near the Akron-Canton Airport.

Mr. Connell was flying alone. He was returning from the College Park Airport in Maryland, near Washington, D.C.. The plane crashed while it was trying to land, between two houses. The coroner in Stark County, Ohio confirmed that Mr. Connell had a receipt from a breakfast he bought in Washington, D.C., on the day of the crash.

On December 31, 2008, reports said that air traffic controllers noticed Mr. Connell was off course. They were talking to him, and he was trying to get back on track when the crash happened. There were no signs that the plane had any mechanical problems.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident. On January 28, 2010, the NTSB released its final report. They concluded that Mr. Connell lost control of the plane because he became disoriented while flying in clouds. Before his flight, he had mentioned wanting to return to Akron before the weather got worse. Other pilots in the area reported severe ice at the time of the crash. Mr. Connell's aircraft was not designed or approved to fly in icy conditions.