There has been a development in investigating one of the Election Day efforts to suppress the Democratic vote.

On Election Day, Maryland Democrats received telephone calls late on Election Day telling them that Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley had won reelection, so they could “relax” (i.e., not vote). It was soon discovered that the calls were generated by an operative working for the campaign of O’Malley’s Republican opponent, former Governor Bob Ehrlich.

On Friday, state police raided that operative’s home. According to the Baltimore Sun:

Investigators for the state prosecutor on Friday raided the home and office of Julius Henson, the political operative who ordered the controversial Election Day robocalls for former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich. …

Henson, a Democratic operative who was working this year for the Republican Ehrlich, ordered more than 112,000 robocalls before the polls closed on Election Day last month.

The calls focused on Democratic precincts in Baltimore and Prince George’s County. The recorded message featured a female voice suggesting that Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley had already won the election and encouraging supporters to stay home. …

Ehrlich, who paid Henson $111,000 for “community outreach,” told the Annapolis Capital last week that the calls were “done outside of my purview.” When news of the calls broke on Election Night, an Ehrlich spokesman called them “absolutely irresponsible.”

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has filed a civil lawsuit against Henson, alleging voter intimidation and vote suppression.

By the way, the effort to suppress the Democratic vote failed. Not only did Governor O’Malley win reelection by 14 points (double the margin over the same opponent in 2006), but Democrats gained seats in the state senate.