Kristin Murray, who left her position in the state party to serve as one of several campaign managers for O’Donnell during that race, said warning bells went off in June 2008 when the two were discussing cell phone plans.

“She told me that she thought Joe Biden tapped her phone line,” she said…

The suntan lotion strategy wasn’t the only thing that captured O’Donnell’s attention that summer. Several former aides said that as the Republican National Convention approached, O’Donnell became convinced she could land the coveted role as keynote speaker—the speech was ultimately delivered by former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani—and booked an expensive trip to St. Paul on that premise.