Former Executive Director of the State Republican Party will serve a seven months sentence for jamming Democratic phone banks on election day 2002.
In addition to prison time, Chuck McGee was fined $2000 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service…….Before his sentence was read, an emotional McGee, said he was ashamed of what he did and apologized to the entire state of NH, both political parties, and even the prosecuting attorney.…..Speaking to reporters afterwards, McGee said he wanted to move on with his life.
"I made a mistake and I'm prepared to pay for that mistake. I look forward to serving my sentence and all be back 2006 when I'll help some more good republicans get elected to office and I appreciate the support of my family and friends."
The political response to the McGee prison time was mixed…..Republican State Committee Chairman Warren Henderson issued a statement that McGee's sentence showed that interfering with the electoral process cannot and will not be tolerated." He added that the GOP will "continue to cooperate as the criminal process now nears conclusion." Democrats, meanwhile, believe there are a still some loose ends worth pulling.
"Chuck was just a local guy in NH who had a stupid idea what he did was wrong, but there are people here who told him you should not do this."
That's Democratic Party Chair Kathy Sullivan…….She doesn't doubt McGee's remorse -- and even wrote the court urging that he get no prison time…….In part, says Sullivan, because McGee provided democrats with useful information for it's ongoing civil suit against GOP…….But also, because the Dems say they have bigger fish to fry. The most notable, is the current Majority Leader of the United States Senate.
"I still hold Bill Frist responsible for not making it clear to the people who work for him that illegal behavior is not to be tolerated. I think it was a win at any cost atmosphere at the Republican National Senate Committee and I hold Bill Frist responsiable for that."
Sullivan is alluding to Frist's 2002 role as national chairman of the RNSC -- the GOP committee charged with getting Republican Senators elected…….That committee targeted the 2002 Sununu/Shaheen senate race………The committee's top regional official at the time was James Tobin……He's was charged earlier this year as one on McGee's co-cospiritors, and is scheduled to be tried later this spring. ………When news of his connection to the phone jamming first emerged late last year, Tobin stepped down from his role as New England director of President Bush's Re-election campaign…….During a visit to Concord at about that time, Sentor Frist was asked about Tobin's and the phone jamming. Frist claimed not to have heard of the controversy, but did ultimately allow that he and Tobin worked closely in 2002.
"We've had numerous conversations in the past about strategy and technique, but I have no knowledge of phones being blocked."
Chuck McGee will begin serving his sentence on April 26…….He's the second person to be sentenced for taking part in the crime…….Virgingi-based GOP consultant Allen Raymond has already been sentenced to 5 moths in prison for his role…….Prosectors say they expect both McGee and Raymond to cooperate in the trial of Jim Tobin, which is scheduled for early June.
