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Meehan petition gatherers want a Lentz apology
MEDIA—Allegations that Republicans who gathered signatures for Pat Meehan’s congressional campaign submitted fraudulent nominating petitions are “reckless” and “false,” four people who were accused of the impropriety in a recent ballot challenge said Thursday.
“These allegations can only have been made to harm my reputation and dissuade me and others from supporting Pat Meehan’s candidacy,” said Jeff Rudolph, a local businessman and member of the Springfield Board of Commissioners.
Rudolph’s prepared remarks were given during a press conference here Thursday afternoon, called in response to the ballot challenge filed by Republican supporters of Meehan’s likely Democratic opponent Bryan Lentz. Rudolph and his lawyer demanded an apology from Lentz and a prompt withdrawal of the complaint that names him and almost two dozen other people who gathered signatures to get Meehan on the primary ballot in the 7th District—signatures, the complaint says, that were either forged, invalid or not properly witnessed. The press conference was part of a busy day in the ballot challenge, during which a motion to dismiss the complaint on technical grounds was quickly made moot and the Lentz campaign quickly arranged its own conference call with a voter who says her signature was forged on Meehan’s nominating petitions.
Although high-profile county Republicans were named in the complaint—like party bosses Tom Judge and John McNichol—the four people who sought an apology here Thursday cast themselves as “normal, hard-working citizens” who were wrongfully accused. Of the four, Rudolph was the only one who read a brief statement before their attorney, Robert DiOrio, took questions. Also present were Bill Lovejoy, Amy Foran and Cheryl Oliveri.
“These aren’t political bosses, these are four folks who are volunteers,” DiOrio said, arguing that Meehan’s opponents are trying to “chill” his campaign with the threat of litigation. If the complaint isn’t withdrawn, DiOrio said, “we are confident that the allegations against my clients will be dismissed. When that occurs, we will consider our future legal actions.”
Another lawyer who helped organize the press conference, Michael Puppio, is chairman of the Springfield Township Republican Party. But DiOrio would not comment on whether he or his clients had spoken with Meehan or his staff since the complaint was filed earlier this week.
In a brief interview, Lentz campaign manager Vincent Rongione noted that Meehan has already acknowledged, in a letter to the Delaware County District Attorney, that some of the petitions circulated by one person were “questionable.”
“Mr. Meehan has already admitted impropriety with his petitions,” Rongione said. “The dispute is about the scope of the impropriety, and the appropriate place to determine that scope is the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. The Meehan campaign and his supporters will have their day in court to defend themselves.”
See Rudolph’s prepared statement below:
Statement from Jeff Rudolph
March 18, 2010
I became aware through various press reports that three (3) individuals supported by the Lentz Campaign and a Pittsburgh law firm had accused me of a crime. I went online and found their Petition that stated “Upon the petitioners’ information and belief” that my signature on the front of the Meehan election petition was not made by the same person who signed the circulators affidavit on the back and therefore, I committed forgery. Additionally, it is alleged that I did not personally witness each person sign the Petition.
I am a local businessman and an elected official who took the time to voluntarily support Pat Meehan’s candidacy by circulating Petitions. These reckless allegations are false, outrageous, unsupported and offensive. I signed my own name twice and personally witnessed every other signature on the petition that I circulated. These allegations can only have been made to harm my reputation and dissuade me and others from supporting Pat Meehan’s candidacy.
I demand to know upon whose information and belief it was that I forged my own name or that of any one else. I am aware that the Lentz campaign has been making calls to people that signed these petitions but they did not have the courtesy to call me before making these unfounded allegations. Rest assured that I will not allow Mr. Lentz, Mr. Levine or the Petitioners to defame my reputation. I am calling upon them to immediately withdraw this allegation and publicly apologize to me and my family.
In the event these reckless allegations are not withdrawn I will defend myself in Court and subsequently sue the Petitioners, Mr. Lentz, and Mr. Levine for their reckless offensive conduct.
March 19, 2010 at 10:30 am
Tags: Bryan Lentz, PA-7, Pat Meehan
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Stosh
Mar 19th, 2010
I wonder if Bryan Lentz and the people who filed these claims are confident enough of these charges to risk a lawsuit against them for damages and offensive conduct.
Thomas J
Mar 19th, 2010
It actually a pretty clever diversion so Lentz doesn’t have to answer questions about the Healthcare debate in D.C.
HateSestak
Mar 19th, 2010
What is paramount is that the denizens of the 7th District will soon be rid of Representative Sestak. Meehan, Lentz, it is immaterial. One way or another, the 7th District will no longer be burdened with a egomaniacal demagogue who is supported by sexual deviants who grope innocent people (Eric Massa) and unprincipled labor racketeers (Wendell Young IV)
Dave Castor
Mar 19th, 2010
Do you prefer a liar and desparate man like Lentz? I hope that they sue him for his house and everything that he owns. And I hope that the named plaintiffs know that they will be liable as well.
David Diano
Mar 19th, 2010
“defame his reputation”???
Rudolph’s already a Republican member of the Springfield Board of Commissioners.
So, I don’t understand what reputation he has left to defame.
BTW, “information and belief” isn’t that high a standard. It’s almost like probable cause.
Rudolph makes one statement that makes no sense: “I demand to know upon whose information and belief it was that I forged my own name or that of any one else.”
A visual inspection of the signatures not appearing to match the same handwriting, is enough for “belief”. I think the likely implication is that someone else forged Rudolph’s name at the end if Rudolph was not there for the actual notary signing.
David Diano
Mar 19th, 2010
LENTZ CAMPAIGN:
Can you post scans of the petitions so we can see the signatures for ourselves?
Rick
Mar 19th, 2010
At the end of the day, Summers, Judge and McNichol will raise their hands and take the witness stand and be cross-examined by Cliff Levine about their massive forgeries and false circulator affidavits. Will they invoke the Fifth Amendment? Dan, I hope you attend that testimony and update us on it.
David DiSabatino
Mar 19th, 2010
I was at the hearing this morning in front of Pres. Judge Dembe. She continued it until Monday. Levine claimed to have evidence that many of the challenges to *Lentz* were filed over the names of people who now say they had nothing to do with it. Levine claimed it was evidence that the challenges were fraudulent, and the judge said, “Or they’re worried about having their car windows broken if they admit to being the challenger.”
dave lewis
Mar 19th, 2010
Isn’t funny that for years when a Democrat wanted to get on the ballot for anything we are always use our full name and cross every T and Dot every i.
A person who ran for County council back in 07′ couldn’t run becuse she didn’t use her whole name or something stupid like that.
These people owe Pat Meehan an apology for making him look like a fool. Can’t do your job right don’t do it.
huw
Mar 19th, 2010
I doubt there’s much potential for a law suit from Mr. Rudolf. This is public business and when and if, he signed that petition he engaged in public activity where he can expect reasonable scrutiny. Unless someone called him personally a fraud or a liar I doubt there’s much room for legal action. Mostly hot air from Mr. Rudolf and his attorney.
David Diano
Mar 19th, 2010
Dave-
My understanding is that the GOP county judges were basically rubber stamps for the Republican candidates, allowing many errors to pass, but calling Dems on those very same errors.
Makes you wonder how many years this has been going on? (My guess: since the Civil War).
Steven
Mar 19th, 2010
For the good of our party, replace Meehan with Dr. Rob McMonagle on the GOP ballot.
David Diano
Mar 19th, 2010
Steve-
Maybe Steve Welch can get back on the ballot.
He’s really going to be kicking himself if Meehan gets thrown off.
BB
Mar 19th, 2010
Let’s simply eliminate this district and that will take care of matters. Ugly…ugly..ugly, then again it’s Pa. politics, what do you expect? Please, can we work on CHANGING THE CULTURE in this state. Enough already.
huw
Mar 19th, 2010
unfortunately for Delaware County, if Lentz wins the election it may well be curtains for the 7th district in reapportionment. Give up the Eastern part to the Phila dems and chop the rest up to the GOP.
pa2010 reader
Mar 19th, 2010
RUN Stensland RUN.
People are tired of the pro-union RINO establishment machines in the 7th and 8th Congressional Districts.
NN to Meehan. NO to Fitzpatrick.
Anonymous
Mar 19th, 2010
When is Bryan Lentz going to be in the news for something that actually is relevant to his Congressional race? So far, the only two things he had been getting press for is Mario Civera and petitions. Where does he stand on the current healthcare bill, cap & trade, etc. This stuff is idiotic.
David Diano
Mar 20th, 2010
Anonymous-
Catching a major corruption of the petition process by GOP party hacks isn’t relevant? If Meehan was any more ethically “challenged”, he might qualify for a special parking sticker.
As for the issues you mentioned, I’m pretty sure that Lentz is not only for the health care bill, but would like something much stronger (public option or maybe even single payer). Cap and trade is how we fought acid rain in the past. It works.
delcojim
Mar 20th, 2010
Cap and trade is what’s going to shut down the SUNOCO refinery in Chester. You should hear some of the employees at the refinery talk about this radical environmental agenda. It’s going to cost them their jobs, and they know it.
Fortunately, Bryan Lentz has the solution! Green jobs building wind farms on the Delaware, or something…
I’m all for environmental protection legislation, but can we please wait until we take care of the flesh-and-blood people who have lost their jobs and their livelihoods during the recession?
David Diano
Mar 21st, 2010
They can “say” it, and “think” they know it will cost jobs. But this is the same type of claim that was made about cap and trade to fight acid rain. It was BS then and BS now.
Ed H.
Mar 21st, 2010
David Diano-
You’re absolutely right about cap and trade. I’m in a business that does work in the refineries and those who actually have studied it know that cap and trade worked incredibly well the last time to lower the impact on the environment from acid rain. A few workers at the Marcus Hook Sun Oil refinery getting the company e-mails aren’t exactly the ones one would want to get their information from.
Ed H.
Mar 21st, 2010
The ones who would lose their jobs in Marcus Hook or any other refinery in the U.S. would do so from the selling of gasoline from Europe to the U.S., because the Europeans use diesel and gasoline is almost like an unwanted byproduct over there. And let’s not forget that the Europeans are going to be deoing their own version of cap and trade, and yet they aren’t whining about it because they know that over the long haul the jobs and profits will still come.
Isaac L.
Mar 22nd, 2010
Delco Jim – Wind energy is now price competitive.
As for everyone else, shouldn’t demands for apologies wait until the verdict? You can’t really ask for an apology before you’ve been acquitted.