No Labels has filed a criminal complaint with the Department of Justice requesting an investigation into what the centrist political group calls an “alleged illegal conspiracy” against its campaign to get ballot access for a third-party presidential candidate.
The move escalates No Labels’ uphill climb to offer a unity ticket with one Democrat and one Republican to oppose President Biden and GOP front-runner Donald Trump, but the group has struggled to get on the ballot in most states and the District of Columbia.
No Labels has gotten a third-party ticket on the ballot in 14 states and hopes to reach 32 in the coming months. Its candidate would be responsible for gaining access to the remaining 18 states.
“There is a group of activists and party officials who have participated in an alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors and its potential candidates,” Dan Webb, an attorney for the group and former federal prosecutor, told reporters in Washington.
In an eight-page complaint to the DOJ’s Criminal and Civil Rights divisions filed last week and revealed Thursday, No Labels laid out what it said is evidence of a “racketeering conspiracy” to “deny Americans their constitutional right to choose the leaders who represent them.”
The group said it’s waiting until after the Super Tuesday on March 5 to pick its candidate. Retiring Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, is among the high-profile names rumored to be in the running.
No Labels alleged the conspiracy against it began last year when Democratic Party operatives, officials and anti-Trump activist organizations like Third Way, the Lincoln Project and MoveOn Political Action began taking actions and engaging in violent speech against
No Labels that went beyond First Amendment protections.
“They’ve gone way beyond freedom of speech,” said Mr. Webb, whose past work includes defending Fox News against the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit. “Freedom of speech does not allow people to commit crimes.”
Lincoln Project responded by blasting No Labels as a dark money group “so consumed with its own quest for power and relevancy that it is willing to risk electing Trump” by acting as a spoiler for Mr. Biden.
“And like Trump, they want to weaponize the DOJ to get to attack their opponents for protected political speech,” Lincoln Project said. “This is a desperate attempt to salvage their failing campaign and keep their fleeing supporters who have finally seen through their facade.”
Third Way also fired back, calling No Labels’ allegations “baseless and frivolous.”
“This letter is an all-too-predictable attempt to distract from the fact that No Labels has no chance of winning,” Third Way said. “Instead, they have confirmed our warning that they are actually planning to use this doomed third-party effort to force a contingent election.”
MoveOn did not respond to a request for comment.
No Labels alleged the “anti-democratic conspiracy” against it violates three laws: an anti-extortion statute; oppressing, threatening or intimidating a person’s constitutional right; and interfering or attempting to interfere with voting or participating in a service administered by the government.
As evidence of alleged wrongdoing, No Labels cited what it said was threatening language from opponents against them and its supporters.
“The right to obtain a ballot line is just as protected by the U.S. Constitution as the right to register to vote, but powerful forces in Washington clearly don’t respect this right,” said No Labels Chief Strategist Ryan Clancy. “At a certain point, [our opponents] crossed the line from hardball politics to something more serious.”
No Labels has not received a response from the DOJ.
No Labels board member and former Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman said they would give Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley “the most serious consideration” should she express a desire to join their bipartisan ticket.
“We’re talking to a lot of people in both parties about potentially running. None of them have said no, but none of them have really said yes,” Mr. Lieberman said. “They want to be convinced, just like we do, that it’s going to be Trump up against Biden, and that there’s a plausible chance for a bipartisan unity ticket to win.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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