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Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense?

By TChris, Section Elections
Posted on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 08:59:22 AM EST
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by TChris

As TalkLeft reported here, James Tobin was indicted for participating in a scheme to jam telephone lines used by Democrats in a "get-out-the-vote" drive on Election Day 2002. He was convicted in December of conspiracy to commit telephone harassment. Suspiciously, the Republican National Committee has been paying Tobin's legal bills. Tobin plans to appeal his conviction, and "Robert Kelner, outside counsel to the Republican National Committee, said he's unsure if the committee will continue to foot Tobin's legal bills."

Why would they? Perhaps to keep Tobin happy. Tobin, after all, could explain why he made about two dozen telephone calls to the White House from the day before the election to the day after. Ken Mehlman, who was then the White House political director, says the calls were routine. Is it routine for the RNC to pay the legal bills of Republicans who try to thwart fair elections?

The Republican National Committee's decision to pay Tobin's legal fees "raises a red flag,'' said Finis Williams, a lawyer for the Democrats. "It's comparable to Watergate, when the burglars showed up and there was a lawyer in a nice pressed suit defending them.''

Is Mehlman worried that Tobin could provide another link between Jack Abramoff and the Republican Party's dirty tricks?

Fueling the controversy is evidence that New Hampshire Democrats uncovered showing that two of lobbyist Abramoff's Indian-tribe clients cut checks to the New Hampshire Republican Party roughly equal to the costs of the phone jamming. ...

Kathy Sullivan, New Hampshire's Democratic chairwoman, said the party searched the records and found that the only cases where the tribes gave donations to state parties instead of individual candidates "were when the states actually had Indian gaming, except for New Hampshire and one other state'' with a close election.

"It was highly unusual,'' she said.

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    Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 09:39:56 AM EST
    The RNC have conspired to criminal activities with regularity and impunity. This is just one case where their operatives were caught. Everything they touch regarding staying in power is tainted by illegal activity. The scary part is that the RNC knows that they have gotten away with 95% of their crimes, surely more nefarious plots are being planned. That is why the November elections are so important. They cannot afford to lose because subpoenas will flow like we have never seen before. Scary, because the desperate rats that they are are sure to start war with Iran as a last ditch effort. They have no cares except to remain in power, if they lose they will go to jail.

    Re: Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? (none / 0) (#2)
    by fafnir on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 11:06:52 AM EST
    A rogue dirty trickster like Tobin probably knows where the bodies are buried, and his attorney probably has his back-stab prevention policy in safe keeping.

    Re: Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? (none / 0) (#3)
    by jondee on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 11:28:02 AM EST
    Theyre worried about him morphing into a highly vocal bird species if they let him twist in the wind. And, I think most of us sense that, on a national level, this is the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Give em a few more years and the G.O.P will have changed the national symbol from a dead-and-stuffed eagle stolen from the indians to some weasal species.

    Re: Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? (none / 0) (#4)
    by orionATL on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 12:06:01 PM EST
    two points come to mind regarding the money provided for james tobin's defense by the republican national committee: 1-- there are likely a number of federal elections where the white house/rnc sabotaged an election process in order to get a republican elected. i would begin by looking closely at close races in 2002 to begin with. there may well be a group of rnc employees or "contractors" specifically trained to do the jobs elections sabotaging requires. personally, i think there is a high likelihood of such a "corruption corps". 2- as far as i am concerned, the rnc-tobin connection strongly suggests a direct link between karl rove and republican election tampering/hampering, sabotaging.

    Re: Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? (none / 0) (#5)
    by jondee on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 12:21:39 PM EST
    Follow the garden slug trail from the plumbers, October suprise, North Casey and co., "exposing" Clinton, possible 9/11 pre-knowledge and youre forced to conclude that we are dealing with, at best, Machievellian scum of the kind that would give the Borgia family a run for thier money.

    Re: Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 05:56:39 PM EST
    Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? Because they couldn't figure out a way to force the public to pay for it.

    Why Is RNC Paying For Tobin's Defense? | 6 comments (6 topical)