A former political operative who served prison time for his part in a 2002 election scandal, and who wrote a book about his experiences, will present the next Cazenovia Forum lecture at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at the Catherine Cummings Theatre in Cazenovia.
Allen Raymond is the author of the 2008 book “How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative,” which the New York Times said “paints a picture of the corruption of modern politics that should leave no doubt about the creativity and cynicism of operatives like Mr. Raymond or the need for tough new election-reform legislation.”
Admission is free and a reception will follow.
Raymond’s presentation will focus on the 2016 elections and dirty tricks to watch for in swing states from both the major political parties, as well as a look at campaign mechanics and the ways that observers can assess a campaign’s viability.
Raymond spent three months in federal prison for his role in the 2002 New Hampshire U.S. Senate election phone jamming scandal, in which he paid a small Idaho telemarketing company to make non-stop hang-up phone calls to phone lines that were being used by Democrats in their get-out-the-vote operations.
Prior to this, Raymond spent nearly a decade working to elect Republican candidates, first at the state and then the national level. He has served in the positions of chief of staff to a Member of Congress, chief of staff to a co-chairman of the Republican National Committee, regional political director for the RNC and National Republican Senatorial Committee, deputy political director for Forbes for President, executive director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and Republican Leadership Council and has managed several state legislative and congressional campaigns.
Currently he lobbies on behalf of labor unions including the Communications Workers of America, assisting them with Republican lobbying efforts on multiple issues, including trade, telecommunications, Senate Rules reform and various labor union specific legislative issues.
Raymond holds a Bachelor of Arts from Hobart College and a Master’s Degree from the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the GSPM’s Advocacy in the Global Environment program and is a trustee of the John T. Underwood Charitable Foundation, which supports not-for-profit community based organizations in Brooklyn, New York.
