BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ALEXANDRIA - This central Campbell County city just went through one of the most contentious, bitter city council races that politicians and community members can recall.
But in many ways a fiercer, deeper battle has been waged in the weeks since the votes were counted.
Formal complaints have been filed with state election officials and the FBI. Tapes of recorded phone calls between politicians have surfaced. A Catholic priest and a V.F.W. hall have been accused of favoring one slate of candidates over another.
Residents and politicians say as bad as it sounds, that's the way politics has been played in Alexandria over the past several years.
"It happens to be a particular group of people, but it's certainly not Alexandria as a whole," said Councilman and Mayor-elect Dan McGinley.
"But for the past seven years there has been a petty, personal war going on out here. And I hope it's over with this election," he said.
"People are tired of the way the city has been run and how some of the politicians have acted," said Richard Heck, the Alexandria V.F.W. commander who found himself in the cross-fire of warring political factions. "It's been a regular three-ring circus out here."
All the complaints and allegations have come directly from or are tied to two men deeply involved in Alexandria politics:
Republican Lloyd Rogers, a former county judge-executive who lost the Nov. 3 mayor's race to Mr. McGinley. It was the second consecutive mayor's race Mr. Rogers lost.
Democrat Jeff Withrow. Mr. Withrow, the city's building inspector and a long-time party activist, did not run in the city council race. But he supported Mr. McGinley and backed the council slate of candidates that Mr. Rogers opposed.
Mr. Withrow and others who are the targets of Mr. Rogers say he is angry over losing the mayor's race.
"It's sour grapes. Lloyd's on a vendetta," Mr. Withrow said. "Sure they'll say it's sour grapes, what do you expect them to say?" Mr. Rogers said. "But it's not sour grapes. There are people out here breaking campaign laws, and I told them even before the election I was going to file these complaints, that win, lose or draw they weren't going to get away with it."
Mr. Rogers has filed complaints with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance both before and the day after the Nov. 3 election. All the charges are rooted in laws that Mr. Rogers claims business owners and Mr. Withrow broke.
A slate headed by Mr. McGinley and Councilman John Stein beat several incumbents and captured open seats, and a new faction now holds a majority on council.
But the race took a personal tone.
Medical records, police reports, financial statements, lawsuits and other personal information about candidates were circulated around town and sent, anonymously in most cases, to reporters. Mr. Rogers was convinced the Alexandria Community Business Association, a chamber-of-commerce-type organization, was working against him and other candidates he supported.
And Mr. Withrow, the association's secretary, openly said he did not support Mr. Rogers or others in his camp.
But Mr. Withrow and other association members said the group did not endorse anyone.
Still, Mr. Rogers filed complaints alleging Mr. Withrow and other association members used their businesses to illegally benefit candidates and bypass the state's campaign finance laws. Rosemary Center, the election registry's attorney, said the complaints are being reviewed.
Business owners named in the complaints are saying they either made honest mistakes that have since been corrected, or they flat out deny the charges.
Mr. Rogers also complained that Mr. Withrow and the association broke campaign finance laws by faxing its members a flier about a rally held at the V.F.W. for some of the city council candidates. But the flier clearly stated that the rally was not sponsored by the business association.
The V.F.W. came up in another fracas when Mr. Rogers called Mr. Heck and accused him of allowing only some candidates to use the lodge's hall for a campaign rally and fund-raiser.
"That's a (campaign) donation, and it's illegal if they don't report it," Mr. Rogers said.
But Mr. Heck said the hall was rented by a V.F.W. member who is also the husband of Michelle Kiddy, who was elected to council. "The hall was paid for and they can invite whoever they want as far as I'm concerned," Mr. Heck said.
Mr. Rogers also wrote a letter to the Archdiocese of Covington complaining that the Rev. Joseph Brink, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Alexandria, touted candidates during a sermon he gave prior to the election.
"I did say it was time for a change and I said people are tired of all the personal attacks in the campaigns," Father Brink said. "But I did not mention any candidates, and the homily was about personal responsibility, not about the election."
Mr. Withrow, saying Mr. Rogers "drew first blood" by filing complaints against him, has filed his own charges with the registry. Mr. Withrow claims Mr. Rogers "bought votes" by handing out a copy of a self-published joke book about Bill and Hillary Clinton.
"I did no such thing," Mr. Rogers said. "Candidates are allowed to hand out something of value to voters. Look at all the pens and other things candidates give out. The complaint is frivolous."
In his letter to the registry, Mr. Withrow claims to have taped phone calls between Mr. Rogers and a council member he would not name. Mr. Withrow claims that in the calls Mr. Rogers said if he were elected mayor he would fire Mr. Withrow as the city's building inspector.
"This threat of terminating my working relationship is a violation" of state law, Mr. Withrow wrote in his complaint.
Mr. Withrow said he did not record the calls. He said someone placed the tapes in his car while he was attending a city council meeting.
He said the calls were made on a mobile phone and were picked up and taped by someone who has a shortwave radio.
Mr. Rogers said he has contacted the FBI to see if Mr. Withrow is breaking federal law by having the tapes in his possession.
Mr. Rogers said he is not on a vendetta and that candidates in Alexandria have a history of breaking campaign laws.
