Former Bush campaign official's phone jamming trial begins

[paineinthearse]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/12/05/former_bush_campaign_officials_phone_jamming_trial_begins/

Former Bush campaign official's phone jamming trial begins
By Beverley Wang, Associated Press Writer | December 5, 2005

CONCORD, N.H. --When President Bush's former New England campaign chairman goes on trial Tuesday on charges he orchestrated an Election Day phone-jamming plot in New Hampshire, state Republicans say they'll be closing the book on a lengthy criminal investigation inherited from an old guard. "This dates back 2 1/2 election cycles ago, so frankly, the sooner that the trial is over and the quicker that justice is served, the better for all parties," Warren Henderson, State Republican Committee chairman, said Monday.

James Tobin, of Bangor, Maine, has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring against rights; one count of conspiring to commit telephone harassment; and two counts of aiding and abetting in telephone harassment. Former state Republican Party chairman Chuck McGee and Allen Raymond, of Alexandria, Va.- based GOP Marketplace LLC, previously pleaded guilty for their role in the plot, which paralyzed get-out-the-vote phone banks run by the Democratic Party and Manchester's firefighter's union for more than an hour on Nov. 5, 2002. McGee and Raymond were sentenced to monthslong prison terms; both appear on government and defense witness lists for Tobin's trial, which is expected to last eight days.

While state Republicans look forward to the end, state Democrats will be watching the trial eagerly for details to cement their theory that the 2002 plot is connected to a larger web of Republican ethics scandals. "What happened here in New Hampshire is just part of the bigger picture," said state Democratic Committee chairwoman Kathy Sullivan, who has been pressuring Republicans for more information through a related lawsuit.

Sullivan wants to connect the dots between $15,600 Republicans paid GOP Marketplace to donations the party received from Rep. Tom DeLay's political action committee and Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist with close ties to DeLay. The donations of $5,000 each were made in the days before Election Day. "You've got to wonder why was it Abramoff had interest in New Hampshire," she said.

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[Botany]

1. They did it in Ohio in 04 too.

When I tried to call the fraud hot line I got crazy music and
voice chanting weird stuff and a forever hold .... within 1 hour
of Kerry conceding the block was replaced w/ a fast busy signal.