Virginia GOP Leaders Applauded Eavesdropping on Dems, Former Party Leader

[Judi Lynn]

Virginia GOP Leaders Applauded Eavesdropping on Dems, Former Party Leader Says
By Bob Lewis Associated Press Writer
Published: Sep 22, 2003




RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia GOP bosses applauded and encouraged the monitoring of a confidential Democratic Party conference call during a 2002 battle over redistricting, a former party leader convicted in the scheme said Monday.
Former state GOP executive director Edmund A. Matricardi III said at least several other influential Republicans, including his former boss and party chairman, Gary R. Thomson, were involved.

Thomson knew Matricardi had the phone numbers and pass codes for the conference call, helped plan the eavesdropping and listened briefly to the first call on March 22, 2002, Matricardi said.

He said he went on to brief then-House Speaker S. Vance Wilkins Jr. and his chief of staff at the time, Claudia D. Tucker, on the first call, and gave them the phone number and access codes for a second call three days later.

"No one at any point was ever hitting the brakes. They were only hitting the gas," Matricardi said at a court hearing to get back his law license, which was suspended after he pleaded guilty in April to a felony of illegal electronic intercept of a phone communication.
(snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA4E6NCXKD.html

[alexwcovington]

1. Hey, back in '72...

Didn't they call this WATERGATE?

[AndyTiedye]

3. They Can Watergate All They Want Now

and we can't do a thing about it. The "Patriot" act will make it all OK.

We just have to accept that all our strategies and plans will be in their hands instantly.

They can even watch the votes coming in (even in the most Democratic state) and
make adjustments as needed.

[Zhade]

2. My son lives in Virginia.

If his life is made worse because of these fucks, they're going DOWN.