The Human Stain: Rigging Elections Incorporated

Allen Raymond, president of GOP Marketplace, pled guilty June 30th, 2004 to one count: Conspiracy to engage in interstate telephone communications with the intent to annoy or harass. On February 8th, 2005, he was sentenced to 5 months in prison. He made a motion to reduce his sentence; on February 2nd, 2006, he received a sentence of 3 months in prison.

Raymond conspired with James Tobin, New England Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee, and Chuck McGee, executive director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, to jam the phone lines of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts on Election Day, November 5, 2002. Both Raymond and McGee pled guilty, testifying against Tobin, who was convicted in Dec, 2005, and will be sentenced in March. In August, 2005, the Republican National Committee acknowledged it had spent more than $722,000 to provide Tobin with lawyers from a high-powered Washington law firm. Party officials, saying they ordinarily would not discuss such matters admit underwriting Tobin's defense because he was a longtime supporter and assured them he had committed no crimes. (Sure! Three quarters of a million dollars to defend him because he's a good guy. Couldn't have anything to do with his links to Abramoff and others - could it?)

Raymond's attorney said that when Raymond was executing the election tampering plot he "was acting at the behest of the state and federal Republican parties," with the call coming from Jim Tobin who was working for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) run by Sen. Bill Frist.

See a rogues gallery of crooked pol's and lobbyists who have been convicted – or will soon be.
Posted on The Human Stain