After reportingearlier this week how a firm named Opinion Factor is pitching itself to conservatives candidates by claiming they have a vested interest in "seeing our fellow conservatives achieve victory in November" RIFUTURE has now learned that the newly hired GOP executive director has connections to the phone jamming scam from the 2002 New Hampshire Senate election.
Marc Pappas, the Executive Director of the RI GOP is a former Republican State Representative and Vice Chairperson of the New Hampshire GOP.<span> </span>The Executive Director of the NH GOP during Pappas’ service was Charles McGee, the man who initiated a scam to jam the phone lines at the NH Democratic Party and the Fire Fighters Union in an effort to suppress voter turnout. According to an FBI transcript, Mr. McGee early on discussed the scam with Pappas.<span> </span>The transcript, from a form referred to as a "302" says: <span> </span>
McGee wanted to use the idea to block phone lines in order to stop opponents from getting through to the Democratic offices on election day.<span> </span>McGee stated he talked to confidants: Kevin Blier, Chris Wood, and Marc Pappas, and said he wondered if this was something he could make happen.
McGee told the FBI that he continued to discuss the idea with Pappas who also thought the scam was a "great, aggressive idea."<span> </span>According to the FBI report,
Pappas gave McGee the Manchester Fireman’s Union number to add to his list of numbers to call on election day.
The plan was launched and the phone lines at the Democratic Party and the Union Hall were jammed, preventing the Get Out the Vote effort on behalf of Senate Candidate Jeanne Shaheen (who is running again this election). At some point during Election Day complaints were made about the jamming and the NH GOP pulled the plug on the dirty tricks operation. McGee told the FBI that when he told Pappas the operation had to end that Pappas was "upset."
McGee and three others either pled guilty or were convicted in connection to the scam.
There are no reports that Pappas directly engaged in illegal activity.<span> </span>He was never charged in the scam. But what does it say about the RI GOP that they have decided to hire an executive director who is described in FBI reports as describing voter suppression activities as "great" and "aggressive" and who was "upset" when the voter suppression had to stop?<span> </span>
Talking Points Memo also has documentation linking Pappas to the scam.
Mr. Pappas did not respond to email or phone inquires for comment on this story.