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| Mississippi Tea Party activist embroiled in dirty tricks allegations found dead | Mississippi Tea Party activist embroiled in dirty tricks allegations found dead |
| (3 months later) | |
| A prominent Tea Party activist in Mississippi, who had been embroiled in allegations of political dirty tricks, was found dead at his home on Friday, apparently having killed himself. | A prominent Tea Party activist in Mississippi, who had been embroiled in allegations of political dirty tricks, was found dead at his home on Friday, apparently having killed himself. |
| The death of Mark Mayfield, a lawyer whose age was given by police as 57, comes days after a candidate he ardently supported for the US Senate failed in a runoff with incumbent Thad Cochran, a six-term Mississippi Republican. Mayfield was charged with conspiracy in connection with the publication of photographs showing the senator’s incapacitated wife in a nursing home. | |
| “He had a single gunshot wound to the head, and he was sitting alone," said Chief Jimmy Houston of the Ridgeland, Mississippi police department, who cautioned that officers were not "absolutely" declaring it a suicide yet. | “He had a single gunshot wound to the head, and he was sitting alone," said Chief Jimmy Houston of the Ridgeland, Mississippi police department, who cautioned that officers were not "absolutely" declaring it a suicide yet. |
| Mayfield’s wife found his body in a storage cabinet in the garage of his home in a gated community outside Jackson, according to Ridgeland police. A large caliber revolver was found nearby. A suicide note was found, according to the Associated Press. | Mayfield’s wife found his body in a storage cabinet in the garage of his home in a gated community outside Jackson, according to Ridgeland police. A large caliber revolver was found nearby. A suicide note was found, according to the Associated Press. |
| Police said they do not suspect foul play, but that a determination on the cause of death will not be issued until after an autopsy is conducted. | Police said they do not suspect foul play, but that a determination on the cause of death will not be issued until after an autopsy is conducted. |
| Mayfield was an ardent supporter of Chris McDaniel in his campaign for state senator. The Tea Party-backed candidate sought to unseat Cochran, but was defeated in a runoff vote on Tuesday. | Mayfield was an ardent supporter of Chris McDaniel in his campaign for state senator. The Tea Party-backed candidate sought to unseat Cochran, but was defeated in a runoff vote on Tuesday. |
| Mayfield was one of four men accused in May of conspiring with a blogger to illicitly take photos of Cochran's wife, Rose, who has dementia, in her nursing home in Madison, Mississippi. The photographs were used briefly in a political video and posted online. | Mayfield was one of four men accused in May of conspiring with a blogger to illicitly take photos of Cochran's wife, Rose, who has dementia, in her nursing home in Madison, Mississippi. The photographs were used briefly in a political video and posted online. |
| He was arrested on felony charges of “conspiracy to photograph or film another without permission where there is an expectation of privacy”. Mayfield was quickly freed on $250,000 bail by his attorneys, who called the bail excessive. | He was arrested on felony charges of “conspiracy to photograph or film another without permission where there is an expectation of privacy”. Mayfield was quickly freed on $250,000 bail by his attorneys, who called the bail excessive. |
| Mayfield was listed as a member of the board of directors of both the Mississippi Tea Party and the Central Mississippi Tea Party, according to the Clarion-Ledger. | Mayfield was listed as a member of the board of directors of both the Mississippi Tea Party and the Central Mississippi Tea Party, according to the Clarion-Ledger. |
| Three other men arrested were also Tea Party supporters. One, Clayton Kelly, wrote the political blog “Constitutional Clayton”. John Beachman Mary hosted the The Right Side radio talk show, occasionally with McDaniel, according to the Clarion-Ledger. Richard Sager was an assistant soccer coach at Laurel High School in Mississippi. Sager’s connection to McDaniel was the least clear, though his Facebook had posts supporting McDaniel, Talking Points Memo reports. | Three other men arrested were also Tea Party supporters. One, Clayton Kelly, wrote the political blog “Constitutional Clayton”. John Beachman Mary hosted the The Right Side radio talk show, occasionally with McDaniel, according to the Clarion-Ledger. Richard Sager was an assistant soccer coach at Laurel High School in Mississippi. Sager’s connection to McDaniel was the least clear, though his Facebook had posts supporting McDaniel, Talking Points Memo reports. |
| The alleged conspiracy to photograph Rose Cochran caused a political dust-up for the McDaniel campaign. Cochran quickly parlayed the incident into an ad attacking McDaniel. The arrests were widely covered by the political media, part of an already high-profile race. | The alleged conspiracy to photograph Rose Cochran caused a political dust-up for the McDaniel campaign. Cochran quickly parlayed the incident into an ad attacking McDaniel. The arrests were widely covered by the political media, part of an already high-profile race. |
| “It’s the worst,” said the ad, flashing a picture of Kelly, and noting his support for McDaniel. “Had enough?” the ad asked. | “It’s the worst,” said the ad, flashing a picture of Kelly, and noting his support for McDaniel. “Had enough?” the ad asked. |
| McDaniel denied that his campaign had any knowledge of the conspiracy. | McDaniel denied that his campaign had any knowledge of the conspiracy. |
| “Any suggestion that this campaign had anything to do with that is outrageous, and we reject it outright, fully and completely,” he told The Hill in May, after a neighborhood meet and greet just outside Jackson, Mississippi. | “Any suggestion that this campaign had anything to do with that is outrageous, and we reject it outright, fully and completely,” he told The Hill in May, after a neighborhood meet and greet just outside Jackson, Mississippi. |
| McDaniel had not yet conceded defeat as of Friday. He alleged that "hundreds" of irregularities were found after the vote, and that Democrats may have voted in the Republican primary, according to WLOX. | McDaniel had not yet conceded defeat as of Friday. He alleged that "hundreds" of irregularities were found after the vote, and that Democrats may have voted in the Republican primary, according to WLOX. |