Democracy in action isn’t always pretty, folks. The Associated Press has this article about how the mayor of the Town of Appalachia, a town councilman and 12 others were indicted in an investigation of voter fraud. Said the AP:

The 269-count indictment by a Wise County grand jury alleges a conspiracy to rig the 2004 election and elect a slate of three candidates to the five-member council. Once in office, the indictment alleges, they helped appoint a head of the police department that engaged in drug trafficking and took money and personal possessions from residents.

The currency of corruption? Alcohol, cigarettes and, yes, even pork rinds.