An attorney for Libertarian Gary Johnson’s presidential campaign is accusing a private investigator hired by the Pa. Republican party of “Watergate-style dirty tricks,” related to a recent ballot challenge.
In a letter to Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams obtained by PoliticsPA, Johnson General Counsel Alicia Dearn alleges that an agent of the PAGOP posed as an law enforcement official and attempted to bribe or intimidate witnesses.
“This information warrants serious investigation because the reported acts constitute felonies and show a scandalous level of illegal activity by the Pennsylvania Republican Party, if any of them are proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” wrote Dearn, an attorney based in California.
Each of half a dozen witnesses, Dearn wrote, was approached by a man showing a badge and “giving the implied or express impression” that he was an FBI agent. He allegedly sought to pressure the circulators into testifying that they had falsified signatures on Johnson’s behalf.
The PAGOP helped to coordinate the challenge of tens of thousands of petition signatures in an effort to disqualify Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, from the presidential ballot in Pa. A judge ruled 3 weeks ago that enough of Johnson’s petitions are valid and he will remain on the ballot; the matter has been appealed.
Johnson’s campaign hired a firm to collect the necessary signatures. During the course of his investigation, Dearn alleges, Reynold Selvaggio, a New Jersey PI hired by the Pa. GOP sought to intimidate those hired petition circulators.
“This man, identified by some of the witnesses as Reynold Selvaggio, offered petitioners money (the sum reported by most witnesses was $2000) and other benefits to testify that they had falsified signatures. He also threatened the petitioners with prosecution if they did not testify to falsifying signatures,” wrote Dearn. A list of specific witness accounts is included in her letter (full copy below).
She said the she, as well as several of the witnesses she cites in her letter, are willing to participate in an investigation.
The Pa. Republican Party dismissed the allegations. “The claims are baseless. The fact remains that the Libertarians have stipulated that tens of thousands of signatures they submitted were riddled with fraud and errors,” said spokeswoman Valerie Caras. “This is simply a distraction from their own questionable activities.”
Selvaggio testified in court on behalf of the Pa. Republican Party during the Johnson hearing. PoliticsPA is seeking comment from him.
Here is Dearn’s full letter:
15 Responses
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I can vouch for what others are saying. The attorney, Ms. Dearn, is a campaign director for Gary Johnson and is also representing him in this case. The actions by the GOP are offensive and any allegation that Gov. Johnson is in cahoots with the democratic party is just fear mongering.
The amount of proven fraud on the part of the GOP is stunning.
No surprise here, as the RNC and Romney campaign committed federal crimes against Paul supporters during the primary. The GOP has the audacity to complain about voter fraud from Democrats, but they say nothing about the GOP.
The attorney who learned of this and wrote the letter isn’t some outside firm that works for Democrats, I can assure you. And the response from the Pa GOP is completely false. The Gary Johnson campaign’s signatures and the PA GOP’s fraud allegations have already been heard by the Court, so the baseless charge that distraction from their claims motivated Ms. Dearn is total BS and Pa GOP knows it. Every signature was challenged and those have been ruled upon, so there’s no “questionable activities” going on, at least not on the part of the Gary Johnson campaign. That’s just deflection. The only issue remaining is the GOP’s appeal to the Pa Supreme Court. (They are leaving no stone unturned, trying anything, to attempt to keep Gov. Johnson off the ballot.) The Pa ballot should be certified, with Gary Johnson on it, any day now. Shame on the Pa GOP.
Charles, I highly doubt you or your half dozen other pseudonyms would get what you think you would by putting any of these cretins on the stand
The Republicans have tried to kick Gary Johnson off the ballot in Iowa, Virginia, Ohio, Oklahoma and Michigan. Pennsylvania is merely another state in which the Republicans know their goose is cooked after what happened at the convention. Kidnapping the Virginia and Rhodes Island delegates before the convention rule vote was also another dirty pool trick by the Republicans. Barry Goldwater is spinning in his grave.
It is amazing what the PAGOP thugs will stoop to doing for Romney. Don’t they have any fear of getting caught? I guess they don’t care as long as they accomplish their mission of holding back Gary Johnson
Selvaggio, the PI hired by the PAGOP who is an ex-FBI agent admitted flashing his badge at petitioners in his SWORN testimony in court.
Makes the GOP spokesperson’s claim that the charges are baseless appear to be a lie. The PAGOP is so busted!
Any notion that Gary Johnson is in cahoots with the democrats is ludicrous. The truth is that many in the PAGOP recognize that Gary Johnson’s ideals fit their own better than the Republican candidate.
Didn’t Watergate teach the GOP anything? The Penn Republicans are using mafia tactics here in an effort the block the third party from receiving delegates. Is this the new American way? They should be prosecuted.
Charles, they fear that enough people will figure out that Johnson is a much better Republican than the actual Republican nominee before Nov. 6.
The attempts by the GOP to cheat in PA are staggering.
Let’s see what happens when DA Williams gets Johnson’s petitioners under oath. Someone at the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee needs to go to jail for this. Why does the GOP fear Johnson’s candidacy?
I wonder if this “firm” hired by the Johnson kooks happens to be owned by a Philadelphia Democratic activist?