NH Judge Allows Discovery In Phone Jamming Case

From the Senate Majority Project

BREAKING: NH Judge Allows Discovery in Phone Jamming Case; Denies GOP Motion to Delay Trial
Submitted by Mike Gehrke on July 13, 2006 - 10:41am.

This morning, Hillsborough Superior Court Judge Philip Mangones granted the New Hampshire Democratic Party's motion to take sworn depositions and discovery from the White House and top DC Republican operatives in the civil suit arising from the 2002 phone jamming scandal.

Those named in the motion include former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, former White House political director (and current RNC Chairman) Ken Mehlman, and Terry Nelson, a top strategist in the political operation of Sen. John McCain.

Judge Phillip Mangones also denied the Republicans motion to postpone the trial for the civil suit. The trial is currently scheduled to commence on November 27, 2006. The Republicans had asked the court to continue the trial until a later date.

In the coming weeks, the NHDP will serve subpoenas on:

* White House Records Custodian
o Go here to see just why the White House made the list. This request will include phone records of the WH political office, at the time headed by Ken Mehlman.
* U.S. Chamber of Commerce Records Custodian
* Alicia Davis: former Associate Director, White House Office of Political Affairs
* Ed Gillespie: former Republican National Committee Chairman
* Terry Nelson: top strategist for Senator John McCain; former Executive Director, Political Operations for the RNC in November 2002
* Chris Lacivita: former National Political Director for the NRSC
* Darrell Henry: former lobbyist for the American Gas Association (See why Henry made the list here)
* Chris Cupit: former Vice President, GOP Marketplace

(For more on why these individuals made the list, go here, or read the NHDP motion here.)

Present in the courtroom were attorneys for the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the New Hampshire Republican State Committee.

Andrew Levchuk, the Department of Justice trial attorney who prosecuted the criminal case against James Tobin, was also in attendance. Levchuk's attendance shows a heightened interest of the DOJ in the phone jamming civil suit.

To read the Senate Majority Project Press Release on today's developments, go here.

To read the Motion to Appoint Commissioner for Out-of-state Depositions, go here.

Check out the Senate Majority Project Phone Jamming Library for documents, links to recent coverage, and more.