Now the major parties are using the explicit threat of judgments for litigation costs to squelch the competition. In August, Republican and Democratic operatives challenged the nomination petitions of every minor-party and independent candidate for statewide office. "The sooner that your clients agree to withdraw," a Republican lawyer wrote to the Libertarian Party's lawyer, "the more likely my clients will agree to not pursue recovery of all their costs." For good measure, he added that "a rough estimate would be $92,255 to $106,455" and cited the Nader-Camejo and Romanelli cases.