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| FBI investigating claims Democratic activists leaked Mitch McConnell tapes | FBI investigating claims Democratic activists leaked Mitch McConnell tapes |
| (4 months later) | |
| The FBI is investigating allegations that Democratic fundraisers were behind secret recordings that caught top Republican senator Mitch McConnell plotting personal attacks against Ashley Judd, the actor and potential political rival. | The FBI is investigating allegations that Democratic fundraisers were behind secret recordings that caught top Republican senator Mitch McConnell plotting personal attacks against Ashley Judd, the actor and potential political rival. |
| When the recordings first surfaced in Mother Jones magazine, McConnell, the Senate minority leader, was ridiculed for calling the incident a "Nixonian bugging" – drawing parallels with the attempted burglary of Democratic campaign offices in the Watergate building by Republican activists in 1972. | When the recordings first surfaced in Mother Jones magazine, McConnell, the Senate minority leader, was ridiculed for calling the incident a "Nixonian bugging" – drawing parallels with the attempted burglary of Democratic campaign offices in the Watergate building by Republican activists in 1972. |
| But McConnell's allegations of dirty tricks gained more traction when a Democratic activist in Kentucky, where the recordings took place, accused two fellow fundraisers of taping the conversations during a visit to McConnell's campaign headquarters. Both worked for Progress Kentucky, a Super Pac dedicated to ousting McConnell from office. | But McConnell's allegations of dirty tricks gained more traction when a Democratic activist in Kentucky, where the recordings took place, accused two fellow fundraisers of taping the conversations during a visit to McConnell's campaign headquarters. Both worked for Progress Kentucky, a Super Pac dedicated to ousting McConnell from office. |
| The FBI in Kentucky told the Guardian it was investigating the source of the tape following complaints by McConnell, but would not comment on who had so far been interviewed in the "ongoing inquiry". | The FBI in Kentucky told the Guardian it was investigating the source of the tape following complaints by McConnell, but would not comment on who had so far been interviewed in the "ongoing inquiry". |
| The recordings show McConnell plotting hardball tactics against Judd, who at the time was considering a bid for his seat. Aides were caught threatening to attack her mental health and religious faith if she decided to run against McConnell in 2014. She has since said she will not stand. | The recordings show McConnell plotting hardball tactics against Judd, who at the time was considering a bid for his seat. Aides were caught threatening to attack her mental health and religious faith if she decided to run against McConnell in 2014. She has since said she will not stand. |
| In Kentucky, like many states, it is illegal to record a conversation without the consent of one of the parties, and the FBI could bring criminal charges if it can track the source of the tape. | In Kentucky, like many states, it is illegal to record a conversation without the consent of one of the parties, and the FBI could bring criminal charges if it can track the source of the tape. |
| A lawyer for one of the accused men, Shawn Reilly, told NBC that he was in the building and said he was co-operating with the FBI as "a witness". | A lawyer for one of the accused men, Shawn Reilly, told NBC that he was in the building and said he was co-operating with the FBI as "a witness". |
| "Other than acknowledging we were in the building, we completely disavow the characterisation of those events," Reilly's attorney Annie O'Connell said. | "Other than acknowledging we were in the building, we completely disavow the characterisation of those events," Reilly's attorney Annie O'Connell said. |
| David Corn, the Mother Jones journalist responsible both for this scoop and revealing an influential covert recording of Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential race, told the Guardian he would not comment on alleged Democratic involvement for fear of compromising his sources. "I can't say anything about the source of the tape," said Corn. Corn has disputed that the tape came from "any Watergate-style bugging operation". | David Corn, the Mother Jones journalist responsible both for this scoop and revealing an influential covert recording of Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential race, told the Guardian he would not comment on alleged Democratic involvement for fear of compromising his sources. "I can't say anything about the source of the tape," said Corn. Corn has disputed that the tape came from "any Watergate-style bugging operation". |
| Opinions vary on how closely the two alleged perpetrators are aligned to the Democratic mainstream. Campaign finance records show Progress Kentucky has raised barely $1,000 in 2012 though new data for the first quarter of 2013 when Judd was talking about standing are made public on Monday. | Opinions vary on how closely the two alleged perpetrators are aligned to the Democratic mainstream. Campaign finance records show Progress Kentucky has raised barely $1,000 in 2012 though new data for the first quarter of 2013 when Judd was talking about standing are made public on Monday. |
| McConnell said the incident "summed up the way the political left is operating in Kentucky". | McConnell said the incident "summed up the way the political left is operating in Kentucky". |
| Progress Kentucky could not be reached for comment. Politico reported on Friday that the Super Pac's treasurer had resigned after the recordings became public last week. | Progress Kentucky could not be reached for comment. Politico reported on Friday that the Super Pac's treasurer had resigned after the recordings became public last week. |
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