Fox Searchlight asks Ray to ‘Rig an Election’

If there is a common theme in what will now make it number three in Billy Ray’s career as a filmmaker, it is the subject matter of people being exposed and the corruptive nature behind ambitiously acquiring power. His debut behind the lenses was with the true-story journo with fake headlines piece Shattered Glass and he then tackled FBI identity revelations in Breach, and now, Variety reports that Ray will write and direct How to Rig an Election, a film based on a 2002 political blunder from a Republican desperately seeking for an edge. Also noteworthy, Fox Searchlight is getting in on the project from the very start and is tagging the picture with a 2009 production start date. Mayhem Pictures’ Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray will produce with Generate’s Jared Hoffman and Pete Aronson. Victor Constantino will be exec producer.

The film will be based on Allen Raymond’s memoir How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative and the film will depict the GOP operative downfall following a campaign to jam phone lines at Democratic Party headquarters in an effort to swing a 2002 Senate election in New Hampshire. After rising through the ranks by using such tricks as calling voters during the Super Bowl to hype a rival candidate, Raymond made his boldest move during a tight New Hampshire race between Democrat Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rep. John Sununu. Raymond enlisted a telemarketer vendor to dump so many automated calls into phone banks at Democratic HQ that outgoing calls were impossible. Shaheen lost by about 20,000 votes, and other local candidates lost by less. The ruse drew federal scrutiny, and Raymond eventually pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in federal court and served three months. His alleged accomplice, a high-ranking Republican campaign operative named Jim Tobin, pleaded not guilty, was convicted and had the verdict overturned. This week, he was indicted again on new charges of making false statements to an FBI agent.