[3.P] I need a good way to mess with my players

[Guilliaume]

So I'm Gming a game and having a blast doing it. My players are fun and are engaged by the story. Currently one of the players is running for high office in a major city against its current, slightly (mostly) corrupt ruler. When the party arrived in town they found it mostly burned down and decided to rebuild it and turn it into an economic powerhouse, out of the goodness of their hearts. The Councilor saw this as a threat, tried to bribe the player who wanted to run to get out of the race, and when that failed tried to have him assassinated.

The party has taken it upon themselves to try to make this guy's life a living hell. They have camped outside his estate singing country songs, kidnapped his staff, and most recently broke into his estate dressed as his guards to find documents proving that he is doing nefarious deeds. They found a magic forging set, pre-signed pardons, and a locked magic desk. When they couldn't get the desk open they decided to steal it. The whole freaking thing. Along with all the art, candelabras, and the window to his office which was magically treated to act as a one way window. Then they threw a party for the guy, with his art on display and signed pardons for themselves framed for all to see. Then the witch put his aide to sleep and ventriloquised him into saying all sort of embarrassing and incriminating things about his boss.
Now I'm super proud of my players for turning this recurring villain into a simpering ineffectual fool, but I can't let all this pass. I wondered if anyone had any ideas for seriously messing with them.

My players are a Half elf Rogue running for office, A Human Witch more hick than man, an Elf Mage/Chief of police, and a Warforged Ranger/Manhunter that has no memories of his past, and the party just leveled to 4. I ended the session when the party finally opened the desk to find inside...something, I haven't decided yet. I was thinking it could be some way for the Councilor to contact with his extra-dimensional boss, like a Zorg-Mr. Shadow from 5th element thing, but I don't know. A lot happened last session. Sorry for the giant block of text, and thanks for any ideas or consideration.

[Karoht]

You want him to make a comeback eh?
His campaign manager is a decently high level Bard. Lets say 6.
The Bard can perform at all the guy's rally's and public appearances. The Bard can make speeches. All of the Bard's performances can begin to Facinate. I think at 6th level the Bard can begin implanting suggestions as well, and it doesn't break the facinate if you fail.

If the party publically attacks the Bard, they'll get all kind of negative PR and lose the race.

Back the Bard up with a Cleric and a Fighter or Paladin. Fighter/Paladin is a war hero who endorses the guy, Cleric is a holy figure who also endorses him.

And should a fight break out you have at least a moderately challenging encounter of a Bard 6, Cleric 5, Figher/Paladin 5. You're party will mop the floor with them, but the 3 man band will make a good show of it first.

As for your 'Zorg' fellow, maybe blackmailed and threatened into obedience by some demons? How is the town relevant to the plans of the big bad backing Mr Zorg? Built on an old summoning site which happens to be the only place in the world where the big bad can be summoned? The towns inhabitants have some bloodline, and are relevant in that they are the decendants of whoever banished/sealed away the big bad in the first place?

[CTrees]

They open the desk, and see that inside is... a palantir, a la Lord of the Rings. They've looked at it and through it, and something very, very nasty has looked back at them through the matched palantir. Now it knows exactly where those idiots who have been messing with his lacky are. Mr. Nasty is temporarily stuck on the negative energy plane (thus why he's working with your Zorg counterpart), but that doesn't mean he can't affect the prime. Turning every shadow in the area of the palantir into a Shadow, for a lovely ambush, would be a good start. Alternatively, possesion through the palantir - dominate person rolled and passed on in secret, on whoever touched it first, and carried out through secret notes (though that requires a lot of ability to trust your players to not blab).