John McCain's campaign is getting serious about Common Sense Issues, the independent group running a series of robo-push-polls promoting Mike Huckabee and ripping on all the other Republicans. The campaign has sent a letter to the New Hampshire Attorney General's office, asking them to investigate the group on the grounds that the calls fail to disclose that they are are working on Huckabee's behalf.

The Union Leader noted today that the calls do not fall under the state's push-polling ban, as that law expressly exempts calls made for the presidential primary. However, the McCain camp may just have them on another statute.

"Among perhaps other violations of New Hampshire law, these reported calls clearly violate RSA 664:16-a," the letter says, "which requires any person engaging in push-polling to 'inform any person contacted that the telephone call is being made on behalf of ... a particular candidate.'" The calls reportedly do not actually say they are in favor of Huckabee.

The full press release is available after the jump.

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN FILES COMPLAINT WITH NH ATTORNEY GENERAL ON PUSH-POLLING CALLS IN GRANITE STATE

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

MANCHESTER, NH -- U.S. Senator John McCain's New Hampshire Vice Chair, former Congressman Chuck Douglas (R-NH), along with the campaign's New Hampshire Leadership Committee, today filed the following complaint against Common Sense Issues, an organization using unregulated soft money to make push-poll calls in New Hampshire in violation of state law. We look forward to the attorney general's full investigation.

VIA HAND DELIVERY

New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General
Attn: Deputy Attorney General Orville B. Fitch, II
33 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301

Subject: Formal Complaint Under RSA 664:18

Dear Deputy Attorney General Fitch:

I am the Vice Chairman of John McCain's Presidential Campaign in New Hampshire. Pursuant to RSA 664:18, we hereby submit this Formal Complaint regarding a push poll that has reportedly been occurring this week in New Hampshire. From the reported accounts (for example, see attached article from New Hampshire's UnionLeader.com, dated December 18), this push poll disparages John McCain, while, at the same time, urging support for Governor Huckabee.

We demand a full inquiry into these distressing and illegal calls. Among perhaps other violations of New Hampshire law, these reported calls clearly violate RSA 664:16-a, which requires any person engaging in push-polling to "inform any person contacted that the telephone call is being made on behalf of ... a particular candidate." As further reported in the attached sampling of articles from other news organizations, the entity making these improper calls -- reportedly a group called Common Sense Issues, which appears to have initiated the calls in support of Governor Huckabee -- failed to report this information to the recipients of the calls, in direct violation of the law.

To ensure the integrity of the New Hampshire Primary Election, we implore your office: (a) to conduct a full investigation of this matter pursuant to 664:18 II; (b) to issue an order requiring the person or entity responsible for this shameful conduct to cease and desist from doing so immediately; and (c) to pursue any and all other remedies and penalties that are available to the Office of the Attorney General under New Hampshire law.

Thank you for your assistance regarding this Complaint, and please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any further information we may be able to provide.

Sincerely,

Charles G. Douglas, III
Vice Chairman -- New Hampshire
John McCain 2008, Inc.