Remember the Virginia tea partier who said he’d drop his bid if the person responsible for leaking unflattering documents about him to the press stepped forward? Shocker: No one did.
Jeffrey Clark, running as an independent hoping to peel off votes from state Sen. Robert Hurt as they challenge Rep. Tom Perriello this fall, isn’t pleased. Clark thinks Hurt operative Chris LaCivita of Swiftboat fame gave the local newspapers papers showcasing his financial dirty laundry.
As we reported, the Charlottesville Daily Progress published a story about Clark’s 1993 bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills. Clark said in an email to supporters that he was told the same packet of information would be leaked to the paper if he stayed in the race.
Clark wrote supporters an email saying that since 48 hours passed without a peep from Team Hurt, he’s rescinded the offer to step aside. He said voters should make this an issue for November.
“I appreciate Congressman Perriello coming forward and addressing this issue head on and making it clear that his campaign had no involvement in compiling or distributing the information,” Clark wrote, since Perriello’s campaign said they had nothing to do with it.
He added:
As of today State Senator Hurt’s campaign has not denied involvement. He chose instead to engage in childish insults calling me personally delusional. I am disappointed that Senator Hurt has not issued a simple yes or no answer concerning his campaigns involvement in the compiling and distribution of this material.I would encourage all people in the 5th district who have had enough of the politics of personal destruction to encourage Senator Hurt to issue an unambiguous statement concerning his or his campaigns involvement in this matter.
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