Dean on RNC Chair, Mississippi Governor role in phone jamming scheme

[ProSense]

Dean on Reports that Second RNC Chair, Mississippi Governor Embroiled in Phone Jamming Scheme

May 2, 2006

A new Associated Press report today reveals that - while Republican National Committee Chairman and former White House Political Director Ken Mehlman has refused to provide the American people crucial information about potential RNC and White House involvement in a criminal scheme to disenfranchise New Hampshire voters - one of his predecessors was a key financial backer of GOP Marketplace, the Republican telemarketing company hired to jam the phones.

The report links former RNC Chairman and current Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to an investment company that arranged $246,700 in startup financing for GOP Marketplace in 2000, a loan that gave the investors a financial stake in the company. The AP also revealed that, prior to implementing the criminal scheme to keep people in the Granite State from voting, GOP Marketplace and its leaders were indicted for political dirty tricks in New Jersey.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement calling on Governor Barbour to denounce the phone jamming scheme and demanding that Mehlman stop stonewalling on this case:

"Today we learned that both the current RNC chairman and a former RNC chairman are linked to a criminal campaign to keep people from voting in New Hampshire. Governor Barbour should immediately denounce GOP Marketplace's conduct in this phone jamming scheme and make clear the degree to which he or his investment company benefited from it. Again, I encourage Chairman Mehlman to end the Republican stonewall and answer the many questions that remain regarding the involvement of the White House staff and the RNC in this shameful and illegal activity. It's a simple question, what did they know and when did they know it?"

While the AP revealed Barbour's financial interest in the company hired to block phone lines at Democratic get-out-the-vote phone banks, Knight Ridder today highlighted the disturbing parallels between this scandal and Watergate. The following are excerpts from both stories:

Miss. governor helped company implicated in election dirty tricks
By Larry Margasak
Associated Press
April 28, 2006


WASHINGTON - Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former Republican Party chairman, arranged the startup financing for a GOP telemarketing company implicated in two criminal cases involving election dirty tricks.

Virginia corporation records show Barbour's investment company arranged a quarter-million dollar loan to GOP Marketplace in 2000 and also gave a promotional plug to the telemarketer several months later. . .

GOP Marketplace was incorporated in Virginia on May 19, 2000, the Virginia records show. An investment company called Helm Partners, with the Washington address of Barbour's lobbying firm, lent GOP Marketplace $246,700.

According to the operating agreement, the loan gave the investors a stake in the company.

For the full story, click here: http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2006/04/28/miss_governor_helped_company_implicated_in_election_dirty_tricks/

more....

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/05/dean_on_reports.php

[saltpoint]

1. Howard's got this one in his sights. Ken and Haley have got some

explainin' to do.

[greekspeak]

2. The party of accountability?

Sure...the Repukes will hold the Democrats accountable for every squeaky little fart. THey are incapable of doing wrong. This is their mindset.

[democrank]

3. Wait a minute....

I thought Republicans were the freedom and democracy people. They wouldn`t disenfranchise voters, would they?