In less than a week now, the US Attorney will name the fourth co-conspirator in NH’s 2002 election day scandal, when the GOP paid telemarketers to make non-stop hang-up calls to NH Democrats and a firefighters’ union.
So who’s the fourth co-conspirator?
- Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman?
- According to John DiStaso, convicted conspirator James Tobin phoned Ken Mehlman more than 75 times between Sept. 30 and Nov. 22 of 2002. Could this be why the RNC paid Tobin’s lawyers , and has kept on paying even after Tobin’s conviction, now up to $2.8 million…
- Terry Nelson and Chris LaCivita were on Tobin’s witness list, but never called.
- Terry Nelson is most famous recently for helping Abramoff and Delay launder $190,000 in corporate political funds. DCI Group lobbyist Chris LaCivita was a media strategist for the Swift Boat Veterans. In 2002, LaCivita and Nelson (like James Tobin) worked on the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Tobin reported to LaCivita, according to his contract with the NRSC. Putting Democrats’ phones out of order on Election Day was a very bold step, an innovative use of the new technology of telemarketing, pushing the envelope of political ethics and legality. It’s hard to believe Tobin would have kept it a secret from his boss…
- Darrell Henry, a lobbyist for the American Gas Association?
- Chuck McGee testified that “Daryl” Henry knew about the planned phone-jamming and said he’d arrange for some help prolonging the phone calls. Mike Gehrke and Paul Kiel think Henry’s the most likely fourth conspirator.
- Former NH State GOP Chairman John Dowd?
- Chuck McGee testified that he went ahead with the phone-jam only after (he thought) Dowd had approved it. In January, 2003, Dowd awarded McGee a $6,000 bonus. On Election Day, however, Dowd was the person who got the phone jam stopped–and Dowd has stated that when he paid McGee the bonus, he was under the impression that the phone jam had never started. In my opinion, John Dowd deserves the benefit of the doubt here.
So, who’s my favorite for the fourth conspirator?
Less than a week to go before we find out…