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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Democratic lawmakers filed a federal lawsuit Friday against several former prominent Republicans for eavesdropping on Democratic conference calls in a scandal that led to the downfall of the state Republican Party executive director. The suit accuses the former Republican officials of "wanton, willful, reckless and malicious" behavior by listening to and recording the two conference calls during which Democrats discussed legal strategy over the Republicans' 2001 redistricting plan. The Democrats seek unspecified statutory and punitive damages. "There are legitimate questions outstanding about who had what information and when they got it," Democratic state Sen. Creigh Deeds...

The former executive director of the Virginia Republican Party was sentenced today to three years of probation and fined $5,000 for illegally intercepting a Democratic Party conference call. The former official, Edmund A. Mr. Matricardi III, apologized before Judge James R. Spencer of Federal District Court for illegally eavesdropping on two calls among the state's top Democrats in March of last year. "I stand before you a humbled man," Mr. Matricardi, 35, said. He said he had not known he was breaking the law when he joined the call using access codes provided by a disgruntled former Democratic Party worker,...

<p>RICHMOND, Va. - The former executive director of Virginia's Republican Party was indicted Thursday on federal charges he eavesdropped on conference calls among Democratic legislators last year. Edmund A. Matricardi III, 34, was accused of using a telephone number and access codes to listen in on the teleconferences. He was charged with five counts involving the interception of electronic communications. Each count carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Matricardi resigned over the scandal but was later hired as operations director of the South Carolina Republican Party. On Thursday, after he was indicted, he resigned that post, too. "Without disclosing he was on the line, he secretly listened for approximately 2 1/2 hours and recorded the call on a tape recorder," U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty said. The indictment said Matricardi disclosed the contents of the call the next day to an official in the office of Republican Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, who alerted the Virginia State Police.</p>

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The former executive director of Virginia's Republican Party was indicted Thursday on federal charges he eavesdropped on conference calls among Democratic legislators last year. Edmund A. Matricardi III, 34, was accused of using a telephone number and access codes to listen in on the teleconferences. He was charged with five counts involving the interception of electronic communications. Each count carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Matricardi resigned over the scandal but was later hired as operations director of the South Carolina Republican...