Mystery man and Electoral College rules

[flashl]

Mystery man's key role in move to change Electoral College rules

Until this week, Missouri attorney Charles "Chep" Hurth III was best known for a headline-grabbing incident a decade ago in which he bit a young female law student on the butt in a bar.

Now Hurth, the city attorney for New Haven, Mo. (population 1,800), is the agent for a deep-pocketed group that donated $175,000 to fund a Republican-backed effort that would reshape the landscape of presidential politics in California.

Hurth has emerged as an unlikely lead player in connection with the ballot measure that seeks to change the way California allocates its Electoral College votes in the presidential election. His actions on behalf of the group Take Initiative America are being examined by the state's Fair Political Practices Commission after accusations from Democrats that the group is hiding the source of its money.

[UTUSN]

1. K&R #3. Let's count the # of times GIULIANI is mentioned !!1

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But Hurth's utter lack of connections to politics in California has raised cries of foul play and suggestions that a major GOP presidential candidate could be behind the matter. ....

Hurth also chaired First Class Funding, a 2005 educational reform campaign supported by conservatives and another big political donor, Patrick Byrne, the chief executive officer of the Internet shopping site Overstock.com based in Salt Lake City. Byrne has donated to candidates of both parties as well as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth effort against 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. ....

But Democrats said the effort is less about reform and more about changing the outcome of the 2008 race. They suggested it's not hard to connect the dots between Hurth and conservative causes, including the presidential campaign of GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.

Hurth donated $2,000 in March to the Giuliani campaign, and his fundraising associate in Choices for America, Nevada-based conservative strategist Steve Wark, has been a major donor and fundraiser for Giuliani.

Hiltachk's partner Charles Bell, a deputy treasurer for the proposed initiative, has given $1,300 to Giuliani, and another Hiltachk law firm partner, Charlotte McAndrews, has donated $2,300 to the former New York mayor's campaign.

Wilcox, the spokesman for the Hurth group, was previously a spokesman for Bill Simon - the former California GOP candidate for governor who is Giuliani's campaign co-chair and chief policy adviser. ....

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