Republican Party Official Convicted of Disrupting Phone Service of Democratic Party Offices

James Tobin, former New England regional coordinator for the Republican National Committee, was convicted on Dec. 15 of disrupting the telephone service for five Democratic Party offices and a firefighters' ride-to-the-polls program in the 2002 election in New Hampshire.  Tobin was convicted of conspiracy and telephone harassment, and the jury acquitted him of conspiracy to interfere with the right to vote.  Among those testifying against Tobin was Charles McGee, former Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, who entered a guilty plea and said that Tobin was integral to the phone-jamming scheme.  A Department of Justice press release (here) discusses the verdict. (ph)