RNC, Others Added to Existing Lawsuit Against State GOP
MANCHESTER, NH - The New Hampshire Democratic Party today added
the Republican National Committee and several other Republican officials
and groups to its pending civil lawsuit against the New Hampshire Republican
Party, over the 2002 phone-jamming case in which two GOP officials are
currently serving jail time.
"It's taken years to fight through their legal stonewalling, but it is
crystal clear
now that the phone-jamming was planned by the Republican Party in order to
help win John Sununu's Senate seat and win back the United States Senate.
And it worked," said Kathy Sullivan, Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic
Party. "Now it's time for some accountability."
"The phone-jamming was a crime, plain and simple. Two men are in jail,
and a
third has delayed his trial only because the RNC has spent almost a million
dollars stonewalling this case. Please, no more delays, excuses, disclaimers
or stonewalls. Let's get to the bottom of this, and get it behind us."
In addition to the RNC, today's motion added two individuals, two Republican
groups, and unidentified attorneys for these groups. According to the motion:
- The REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE was the employer of James
Tobin, a Republican official at the heart of the phone-jamming who has
been fingered by both the men who have been convicted in the case. Tobin
was
acting in the scope of his duties for the RNC and specifically to achieve
their goal: electing Senator John E. Sununu and reclaiming a majority in
the U.S.
Senate.
- JAMES TOBIN, former Northeast Political Director for the RNC and the
Regional Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC),
conspired with other defendants (including two currently in jail for this
crime) to jam phone lines at Democratic Party and nonpartisan Get-Out-the-Vote
locations. Specifically, Mr. Tobin connected NH GOP Executive Director
Chuck McGee with GOP telemarketer Allen Raymond for the purpose of
committing this crime. Mr. Tobin's criminal trial is scheduled for later
this fall, after numerous delays from his legal team (which is funded by
the RNC). Mr. Tobin was also New England Chair of the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign
and was a "Ranger," raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for
its effort.
- JOHN DOWD, former Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party
(NHGOP), was aware of the planning of the crime prior to the election, then
helped cover it up and gave McGee a $6,000 "bonus" after the election,
despite full knowledge of the crime.
- The REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE employed telemarketer
Allen Raymond, who was convicted in a criminal court and is currently
serving a jail sentence. Raymond's attorney stated in court that he was
acting in his capacity as the group's regional executive director, and had
cleared the crime with the RLC's staff and lawyers.
- The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE was also
James Tobin's employer, and the crimes he committed were done in the
scope of his duties at the NRSC, and done specifically to further their
agenda.
- UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEYS FOR THESE GROUPS were added to the
lawsuit after it became apparent that in at least two cases, Republican
lawyers working for these groups falsely told their clients that the activity
in question was legal.
These defendants join the New Hampshire Republican State Committee:
- Milo Enterprises
and GOP Marketplace (the two firms involved in the
phone-jamming); Chuck McGee, Allen Raymond, and Chris Cupit (who
was part of the management at GOP Marketplace).
- Additionally, today's motion
replaced one count in the civil suit which had
requested preliminary and injunctive relief (since the election is passed)
with
another seeking enhanced compensatory damages (since the conduct of
defendants constituted malicious and oppressive acts).
