No Labels third-party group asks for DOJ probe; Republicans take to cable TV

The group on Thursday said a public and private pressure campaign by Democrats and allies of President Joe Biden goes beyond legally protected political speech. "There is a group of activists, operatives and party officials who are participating in an alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors and its potential candidates," Dan Webb, a No Labels leader and former U.S. attorney, said during a press conference in Washington.

The leaders of No Labels, a group preparing a potential third-party presidential bid, have asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate a range of Democratic-leaning groups and activists who they say are working to thwart those efforts. The group on Thursday said a public and private pressure campaign by Democrats and allies of President Joe Biden goes beyond legally protected political speech.

"There is a group of activists, operatives and party officials who are participating in an alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors and its potential candidates," Dan Webb, a No Labels leader and former U.S. attorney, said during a press conference in Washington. No Labels, which has yet to name a candidate, has already raised more than $60 million and has qualified in 14 states, including swing states Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina.

Democrats fear a centrist third-party bid would splinter their party while Trump's loyal base sticks with him. The eight-page letter from No Labels detailed a number of incidents that the group believes could be potential crimes.

Holly Page, a No Labels co-founder, said she was threatened by a top Democratic official who told her: "You will never be able to work in Democratic politics again." No Labels identified Democratic-aligned groups including American Bridge, Third Way and MoveOn as part of the alleged conspiracy.

American Bridge President Pat Denis called the No Labels complaint "frivolous." "They have a weak chin if they think this is too much scrutiny for a national campaign," Denis said.

MoveOn did not immediately return a request for comment, and Third Way declined to comment. The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. In other news from the campaign trail:

HALEY, TRUMP SKIP DEBATE STAGE IN FAVOR OF CABLE TV Donald Trump has skipped all five Republican presidential debates thus far, a not-so-subtle way of telling voters that the events - and, by extension, his rivals - were unworthy of his attention.

That strategic choice was largely validated after Trump's blowout victory on Monday in Iowa's first-in-the-nation nominating contest over former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Now Haley is taking a page from Trump's playbook, skipping what was to be the sixth debate on Thursday night in favor of a CNN town hall. She announced she would no longer debate unless Trump participated.

Trump, meanwhile, will sit down for a friendly interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. DeSantis took part in his own CNN town hall on Tuesday, where he attacked Haley and Trump for refusing to debate him. Haley's decision was aimed at marginalizing DeSantis ahead of Tuesday's primary election in New Hampshire, where polls show Haley all alone behind Trump in second place. DeSantis barely registers at around 5% in New Hampshire and has turned his focus to more conservative South Carolina - Haley's home state - which will hold its primary on Feb. 24.

On Monday night, despite finishing behind DeSantis in the caucuses, Haley nevertheless declared that the results meant the race had come down to her versus Trump.