Playing Telephone in Montco

In 2007 Montgomery County Commissioner Ruth Damsker, Democrat, was running for re-election. Another commissioner, Tom Ellis, left voicemail messages for her telling her to enjoy her last few months on the board and bragging about the fundraising activities of Jim Matthews campaign for commissioner. (The original press release from Damsker had recordings of the messages but I can't find it online. I wrote about it but the link to the source material no longer works. PAWaterCooler also wrote about it.)

Fast forward a few years. Damsker is out of office. Ellis is the county treasurer and has been serving on the board of Independence Blue Cross. Now Ellis says fellow Republican Jim Matthews, currently chair of the board of commissioners, left messages on his phone threatening him because he didn't vote the way Matthews wanted and because of Ellis's activity with the re-election campaign of the other Republican commissioner, Bruce Castor. (See "Matthews and Hoeffel vote to boot treasurer from board," by Keith Phucas, Reporteronline.com 2/16).

Maybe Ellis should stay away from phones.