CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A jury on Thursday convicted a former national Republican official of two telephone harassment charges for his role in a phone-jamming plot against New Hampshire Democrats on Election Day 2002.

The federal jury acquitted James Tobin of a third charge, the most serious against him, of conspiring against voters’ rights.

Tobin, 45, of Bangor, Maine, was regional political director to the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2002 election, the year of a closely watched Senate race between Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican John Sununu. Sununu defeated Shaheen, 51 percent to 46 percent.

Tobin was President Bush’s New England campaign chairman last year, but resigned when the allegations became known.

He faces a maximum seven-year prison term and $500,000 in fines when he is sentenced in March. The voters’ rights charge carried a potential sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.

Separately, state Democrats are pursuing a civil lawsuit, which they hope will expose knowledge or approval of the scheme by GOP officials higher than Tobin. Republicans have insisted it was conceived and executed at the state level.

In August, the Republican National Committee acknowledged it had spent more than $722,000 to provide Tobin with lawyers from a high-powered Washington law firm. Party officials who said they ordinarily would not discuss such matters said they underwrote Tobin’s defense because he was a longtime supporter and assured them he had committed no crimes.

Tobin’s lawyer had no comment after the verdict was delivered in U.S. District Court.

For nearly two hours on Election Day 2002, hundreds of hang-up calls overwhelmed Democratic get-out-the-vote phone banks and a ride-to-the-polls line run by Manchester’s firefighters union.

The state GOP’s former executive director, Chuck McGee, who admitted hatching the plot, has completed a seven-month sentence for conspiracy. After speaking with Tobin, McGee hired Allen Raymond, former president of Viginia-based GOP Marketplace LLC, to carry out the jamming. Raymond pleaded guilty to his role and hopes a five-month sentence will be reduced in exchange for his cooperation with prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Tobin’s referral revived McGee’s plan when it was all but dead, and functioned as a de-facto blessing of the plot.

“When Chuck McGee wanted someone to help him with his dirty scheme … he went to Jim Tobin,” prosecutor Andrew Levchuk told the jury Monday.

“The moment he could have stopped the whole thing, he took the low road and didn’t.”

Levchuk said he was pleased with the verdict and that the investigation continues.

During her closing arguments, defense lawyer Dane Butswinkas hammered on Raymond’s credibility, reading back numerous pages of trial testimony and accusing him lying at least 10 times, including statements that Tobin called him in mid-October 2002 to pitch the jamming idea.

“He’s making up stories right before your very eyes,” Butswinkas told jurors.

Deliberations began Tuesday and resumed Thursday, lasting until about 5 p.m.

“I’m glad that the case has finally been resolved and I’m confident that justice was done,” said Warren Henderson, state GOP chairman.

He added, “The Republican Party of New Hampshire opposes every act of voter fraud and election abuse.”

State Democratic Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan praised prosecutors and investigators and said the conviction was telling.

“It’s been abundantly clear that the Republican culture of corruption has infected our state. I find it amazing that Mr. Tobin refused to testify under oath and risked prison to keep quiet,” she said.

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