South Jersey Democratic organization has filed a federal complaint against a Republican campaign group working to reelect U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, saying it had co-opted his Democratic challenger’s name on a “deceptive” website to solicit donations. Republicans countered Monday by attacking the challenger, Democrat Bill Hughes Jr., for his association with retiring U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.). The website complaint, brought by Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Jim Schroeder, asks the Federal Election Commission to investigate “fraudulent” activity by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). It also names LoBiondo and his campaign as respondents.
It says the NRCC snatched up 15 domain names – all variations of “Bill Hughes Jr. for Congress,” referring to the Democrat challenging LoBiondo in the Second District – that redirect to a website that accuses Hughes of “helping New Jersey’s most corrupt criminals since 2002.”
The Second District includes all or parts of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Counties and parts of Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington Counties.
Hughes, a former federal prosecutor, is a white-collar defense attorney in the Atlantic City office of Cooper Levenson. One client was Andrews, whom he helped represent during an ethics investigation involving the congressman’s use of campaign funds. “Need to get out of jail?” says the website billhughesjrforcongress.com at the top of the page. “Better call Bill!”
Full Article: Democrats file U.S. complaint over GOP websites.