BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Gex Williams
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FORT MITCHELL -- Leading Kenton County Republicans are accusing some Democrats of waging political vendettas by filing formal complaints against GOP officials.
The Republicans point to recent complaints involving Republican state Sens. Jack Westwood of Erlanger and Gex "Jay" Williams of Verona.
Mr. Williams is in a tough congressional race with Boone County Democrat Ken Lucas.
Two of the Democrats involved in filing the complaints are John Fortner and Dennis Repenning, both Covington attorneys.
Both are close to former state Sen. Joe Meyer, a Covington Democrat whom Mr. Westwood defeated in a stunning upset two years ago.
Mr. Repenning and Mr. Fortner were part of Mr. Meyer's campaign team, a close-knit group of friends the Republicans dubbed "The Lieutenants" and "The Meyer Mafia."
Mr. Williams helped Mr. Westwood beat Mr. Meyer in one of the most bitter campaigns of the 1996 election cycle. And Mr. Meyer and Mr. Williams often clashed politically and personally during their seven years together in the Kentucky General Assembly.
"It's pure revenge," said Ted Smith of Park Hills, a member of the Kenton County Republican Executive Committee and a long-time critic of Mr. Meyer.
Democrats deny the complaints are an orchestrated attempt to seek vengeance against Republicans, or in Mr. Williams' case to distract and embarrass him as he runs for Congress.
And they say Mr. Meyer is not involved in any way with the complaints. "What difference does it make who files the complaint?" said Mr. Repenning.
"It seems to me (the Republicans) are trying to deflect the allegations," he said.
Mr. Repenning is representing Bob Arnett of Covington, who filed a complaint this week with the Legislative Ethics Commission over land Mr. Williams sold to provide him income during the congressional campaign.
A computer consultant, Mr. Williams has been working full-time on his campaign.
Mr. Arnett, a neighbor of Mr. Meyer's, did not return a phone call to comment. Mr. Repenning is acting as his spokesman.
The complaint alleges that Mr. Williams violated the state's ethics code by failing to report the income of the sale on the financial disclosure form state lawmakers are required to annually file. Mr. Arnett also alleges that the $60,000 Mr. Williams received in the sale was actually a gift from a supporter.
Mr. Williams maintained this week that the sale was proper, but he did admit making a mistake when recording the income on his financial disclosure form.
"I feel I did everything to have a valid, proper and legal transaction," Mr. Williams said. "Apparently, some people feel otherwise."
The second complaint was filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance on April 27 by Mr. Fortner against Fort Mitchell Republican Paula Miller, a member of Mr. Williams campaign team. However, the complaint has to do with Mrs. Miller's work as treasurer of Mr. Westwood's campaign.
In the complaint, Mr. Fortner -- the vice chairman of the Kenton County Democratic Executive Committee -- alleges that Mrs. Miller illegally laundered money through the state Republican Party into Mr. Westwood's campaign and failed to report a series of campaign expenditures.
Mrs. Miller has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated and unfounded.
Mr. Fortner and Mr. Repenning each said they did not know of the other's complaint, nor did they work together on the filings.
Mr. Fortner said that he filed his complaint not as a Democratic Party official but because he is close to Mr. Meyer.
"When the Republicans are scared or worried, they start slinging mud," Mr. Fortner said Friday. "That's the typical response, that we're political. But that's just not the case here."
Crestview Hills attorney Eric Deters is a former Republican Party official and campaign worker who is representing Mrs. Miller. The Democrats "obviously have a strategy to file these complaints to discredit somebody," Mr. Deters said Friday.
"While we deny these allegations, all is fair in love, war and politics. I guess we're fair game. Of course these complaints are about revenge, but that's not an evil thing. That's the nature of the game," he said.
"That's politics."
