In Manchester, Rove mum on phone-jamming scandal

In Manchester, Rove mum on phone-jamming scandal
By JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political Reporter
7 hours, 30 minutes ago

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove refused last night to talk about the 2002 Republican phone-jamming scandal that has led to the convictions of three GOP operatives.

Before speaking to about 500 activists at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee's annual dinner, Rove was asked by the New Hampshire Union Leader to comment on the operation, in which Democrats allege he may have had a role.

"Listen to my speech," Rove said. "It will be a good one for you." The speech was a defense of Bush administration economic and foreign policy and did not mention phone jamming.
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State GOP Chairman Wayne Semprini said the party expected to raise $55,000 to $60,000 last night. He has acknowledged that some of it will help pay the state committee's legal defense bills in a civil lawsuit filed by the New Hampshire Democratic Party over the phone-jamming scandal.
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http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Rove+mum+on+phone-jamming+scandal&articleId=1a0383d0-1437-4117-b0f6-2f4a235c7ede

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Steve Forbes comes to defense of phone-jamming defendant
June 12, 2006

BANGOR, Maine --Former presidential candidate Steve Forbes is coming to the defense of a Bangor man following his conviction in a New Hampshire Election Day phone-jamming scandal.

Steve Forbes wrote in a column in his magazine, Forbes magazine, that an "injustice" was perpetrated in federal court when James Tobin was convicted of two felony telephone harassment charges and sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Tobin was convicted of helping a top state GOP official find someone to jam Democratic get-out-the-vote lines on Election Day 2002. At the time, he was a regional official of the Republican National Committee.

"Tobin had nothing to do with this activity," Forbes wrote. "He did not oversee it; he did not participate in it. He didn't even know about it. The prosecutors alleged that even if Tobin didn't know about the scheme, he should have known about it."
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http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2006/06/12/steve_forbes_comes_to_defense_of_phone_jamming_defendant/