Fourth man charged in GOP phone-jamming scam

[paineinthearse]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/03/27/fourth_man_charged_in_gop_phone_jamming_scam/

Fourth man charged in GOP phone-jamming scam
By Holly Ramer, Associated Press Writer | March 27, 2006

CONCORD, N.H. --The former co-owner of a telemarketing firm pleaded not guilty Monday to participating in a Republican scheme to jam Democrats' get-out-the-vote phone lines on Election Day 2002. Shaun Hansen, 34, of Spokane, Wash., was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 8, but the charges were not made public until his arraignment Monday.

Hansen is charged with conspiring to commit and aiding the commission of telephone harassment. Prosecutors say he was paid $2,500 to have employees at Idaho-based Mylo Enterprises place hundreds of hang-up calls to phone lines installed to help voters get rides to the polls on Nov. 5, 2002. Among the contests decided that day was the close U.S. Senate race in which Republican Rep. John Sununu beat outgoing Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.

Three others have been convicted for their roles in the scheme. Former state Republican Executive Director Chuck McGee pleaded guilty to devising the idea of jamming the lines and served seven months in prison. Telemarketer Allen Raymond pleaded guilty to executing the plan and is serving a three-month sentence.

James Tobin, who had served as New England chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign, was convicted in December of telephone harassment charges and faces up to five years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Hansen had faced similar accusations last April but he never was indicted, said his lawyer Jeffrey Levin, who declined to comment further on the case Monday.

Lily Chinn, prosecutor, did not immediately return a phone call on Monday at the Justice Department seeking comment.

[Warpy]

1. Gee, all these brash young right wingers in their 20s and 30s

and their situational ethics. I wish the judge would stop looking at their fresh white faces and neatly pressed suits and consider the magnitude of the crime and throw the book at them.

Crime will probably continue to pay for conservatives, though.

[tanyev]

13. And why aren't those fine young patriots in Iraq right now?

[Mabus]

17. They are

unfortunately they were also put in charge of things like reconstruction and PR.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Now THAT'S some good news!

It can't be emphasized enough that the man who already is facing a possible five year sentence over this vile criminality, James Tobin was "New England chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign."



Tobin

It's wonderful knowing that another Republican responsible for this sabotage of Democratic votes is going to stand trial now.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. don't know the legalities surrounding all of this, but.....

can sununu be recalled? doesn't this call into question the whole process by which he came to power?
:shrug:

[Judi Lynn]

8. I've thought about that, too. It would only be fair. n/t

[Swamp Rat]

4. For subverting the voting process in America that sentence is too light.

Many people have died as a result of their actions. :grr:

[Supersedeas]

21. A subversion of democracy - a Pubby pasttime?

[MrPrax]

5. Too light...

I might be mean, but the people doing the calling should also be charged as well--your employer doesn't have the right to order to violate the law and the 'call center' people doing the calling must have been conscious of the fact they were engaged in illegal activities.

After all, if a private citizens, organized from their own home phones via a phone tree campaign were doing this--they would potential be charged. The fiction of an 'employment' contract is NOT a defense.

Moreover, those people who have it on their records and as such in the future other 'political campaigns' would know enough to pass on their offers of help or employment.

Why would this be different than any other citizen being caught in destroying campaign signs or any other scummy things during an election--I dunno...people have to take responsibility for their actions. The Law doesn't work otherwise.

[applegrove]

6. Great news.

[kiteinthewind]

7. K&R!

:thumbsup:

[formercia]

9. I was hoping it would be Mehlman or Frist.

hope springs eternal.... :evilgrin:

[C_U_L8R]

10. You KNOW Rove is involved somehow

he's the telemarketer of the party

[glitch]

11. Next: Sproul Associates.

Some DAs somewhere (or everywhere) must be going after them...

[Rex]

12. What fine morals, my the GOP holds such high ethical standards!

Stupid frat prank! :eyes:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. convictions, no matter how small, tend to screw up your future. ask any

black man in Chicago. Or Detroit. Or New York. Or Atlanta.

A pretty spoiled white boy with a conviction will be damaged goods for a long time to come. Good for them. I only wish they would recognize the damage they caused by helping Shrub get elected.

[superconnected]

15. More republican morals on display.

[ohtransplant]

16. Reminds me of convicting enlisted men for Abu Ghraib.

We know that came from much higher also. These guys didn't act on their own.

Don't get me wrong...these guys did wrong and should pay but I want the big fish.

[antiblazer]

18. more Repuke dirty tricks

not surprising from the PARTY OF CORRUPTION

[autorank]

19. Sununu Family Tradition...the Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree.

Here is is...real electoin fraud...they had to swing NH to a higher Bush total than expected as "cover" for the Hell they might have to raise with "the votes." Seems they had not locked down the Exit Polls sufficiently. NH was a wide margin Kerry state. He won by less than expected. Helpful with that drunken, party school, The Electoral College; but more helpful by negating the Exit Polls.

Wonderful stuff. Thanks.

BTW, there was some guy around the net who made a big deal of how honest NH elections were. Wonder where he is now;)

[paineinthearse]

20. "Wonder where he is now"

Probably with his 3 convicted buddies, in the federal correctional facility in Shirley, Mass.