Smith Accuses Scott Brown of 'Colluding' with NH GOP

Bob Smith is accusing Republican rival Scott Brown of colluding with the New Hampshire Republican Party in drafting a "unity letter" for candidates to sign during the U.S. Senate GOP primary.

Smith lobbed the charge near the start of WMUR's Close-Up, a pre-taped segment that aired June 22, and which featured Smith, Brown and Jim Rubens.

Smith said he had reliable sources that New Hampshire Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Horn and the NHGOP were in collusion with Brown on the letter that sought the GOP candidates to be united during the primary.

Smith said the Republican Party must stay separate and not interfere in the primary. 

"My sources are 100 percent impeccable that you colluded with the Republican Party of the state of New Hampshire in either the preparation of that letter or that you asked that that letter be sent to put me on the spot as to my reason that I didn't sign it," Smith said.

"Bob," Brown replied, "you're absolutely wrong."

Smith, a former U.S. Senator who battled the GOP establishment in losing his seat in a primary in 2002, continued to press the issue on WMUR. 

"I don't even need to respond," said Brown, after previously telling Smith he was wrong. "It's just silly."

All three said they were united in a GOP effort to defeat incumbent U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in November.

The WMUR exchange comes as Rubens and Smith both criticized Brown that he was avoiding debates and pushing off filing financial disclosures. Brown responded that he added two debates to his schedule, and that on Friday he had released personal financial disclosures to the press.

Rubens challenged Brown on his ads that attack Shaheen for voting with President Obama 99 percent of the time.

"In 2011," Rubens said, "you voted with President Obama 70 percent of the time and people are asking in the state why you moved here, was it you came here because you couldn't get elected in Massachusetts?"

Brown pointed to his votes to give businesses an incentive to hire veterans, legislation to block insider-trading and work across the aisle to get things done for the good of America.

Smith, who briefly left the party amid a quixotic campaign for higher office, called himself a platform Republican. "There's no one sitting on this platform that has the amount of support I've given to the Republican Party."

"You can laugh Scott," Smith said, turning to Brown.

"I'm not laughing," Brown responded. "I'm the only lifelong Republican on this stage right now."

"OK," Smith said, "so we can be a Republican and vote with the Democrats 60 or 70 percent of the time..."

"The number keeps getting higher every time," Brown said with a laugh.

Rubens chimed in, "It's your number, Scott."