BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE -- The first Republican campaign ad of the 4th District Congressional race has been called misleading and false by the Democrats.
The ad began running on Cincinnati television stations Friday. It was paid for by the National Republican Committee and produced by the National Republican Congressional Committee on behalf of Gex "Jay" Williams of Boone County. Mr. Williams' campaign said it had nothing to do with the ad.
The ad portrays Democrat Ken Lucas, the former Boone County judge-executive, as squandering tax dollars on personal perks, including an $18,000 car, car washes, gasoline for the automobile and $25,000 in membership fees.
It also says "multi-millionaire" Lucas raised his own pay 25 percent while judge-executive.
The ad encourages viewers to call Mr. Lucas and "tell him to support reforms that stop politicians from profiting at our expense."
But Mr. Lucas and his campaign team say the ad is false.
"There's no truth to it and I can't believe they would put something like this on the air," Mr. Lucas said.
The car mentioned in the ad is not used by Mr. Lucas, but by Boone County Administrator Jim Collins, who works full time for the county. The gas and car washes were also used for that car, said John Lapp, Mr. Lucas' campaign manager.
"Ken Lucas has never had a car furnished by the county, never received any reimbursement for the mileage he has driven, never had a car washed at county expense . . . and even paid for his own hospitalization instead of having the county pay for it," Mr. Lapp said.
"He has taken great pride in putting a stop to perks for public officials . . . and to say otherwise is false and misleading," he said.
Later Friday, Mr. Lapp said that at least one television station agreed to suspend running the ad pending a review and all of the region's stations were being asked to quit running the "false ad" entirely. Todd Harris, spokesman for the NRCC, said the organization, which works to get Republicans elected to Congress, said Friday it stands by the ad.
"The car was purchased with money from the judge-executive's office," Mr. Harris said. "It doesn't matter who drives it. The fact is the office is buying cars with taxpayers' money."
Memberships mentioned in the ad went to community groups like the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary and other organizations the county joins.
The ads imply Mr. Lucas joined country clubs or other exclusive groups, which isn't true, said Walton attorney Mark Guilfoyle, a member of Mr. Lucas' campaign.
"The ads imply Mr. Lucas misused county money, when the truth is the exact opposite," Mr. Guilfoyle said. "Ken Lucas has bent over backwards not to spend the taxpayers' money."
The ads also claim Mr. Lucas voted to give himself a pay raise, but Mr. Guilfoyle said the state sets the salaries of county officials. The ads also say administrative costs went up 85 percent while Mr. Lucas was in office, but Mr. Lapp produced documents that showcosts dropped 11.24 percent.
