Political Consultant Seeks Halt In Robo-Call Suit

 BALTIMORE (AP) -- A lawyer for political operative Julius Henson is seeking to halt a civil suit stemming from a last-minute robo-call in the Maryland governor's race.

In a motion filed Wednesday, Henson's lawyer asks for a stay in the civil complaint filed in federal court by Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler.

The motion says witnesses called before the grand jury in the civil case could risk self-incrimination in criminal probes. A spokeswoman for Gansler says he will oppose the motion.

The complaint alleges that the more than 112,000 prerecorded calls were intended to suppress voter turnout and violated federal law.

 Henson has acknowledged responsibility for the calls, but he has said they weren't meant to suppress the vote and he did not believe they were illegal.

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