Hagan alleges extremist ties

A Youngstown mayoral candidate said the Democratic nominee is paranoid.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Democrat Robert F. Hagan said "right-wing extremists are targeting" him in today's Youngstown mayoral election by supporting one of his opponents.
Jay Williams, the opponent in question, said Hagan is paranoid.
"I don't know if it's pressure or desperation on his part," Williams, an independent candidate, said of Hagan.
Surrounded by fellow Democrats at his campaign headquarters Monday, Hagan displayed a chart that ties Williams to people he described as right-wing extremists. They include Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, a 2006 Republican gubernatorial candidate, and David Zanotti, head of the conservative Ohio Roundtable.
Zanotti also is chairman of the self-proclaimed conservative Liberty Committee of Independence, Ohio. The group paid to print 10,000 fliers in support of Williams, comparing his views with Hagan's on "sanctity of life" and "drug policy" issues.
Hagan blasted Williams for contributing to Blackwell's campaign, calling the secretary the Ohio chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign last year. Blackwell was among several elected Republicans to hold the honorary Bush-Cheney chairman title.
Contribution
As for the contribution, Williams gave $25 to Blackwell. Hagan and his supporters said it didn't matter how much Williams gave, the point is he gave money to Blackwell, whom they describe as an extreme conservative.
Williams said he gave the money to Blackwell after being moved by a speech the secretary gave about a year ago in support of a North Side youth program.
"That doesn't mean I support him for governor," Williams said of Blackwell.
Williams pointed out he also contributed money to Democrats including Mahoning County Commissioner John McNally IV and county Treasurer John Reardon.
Williams said he's never met Zanotti. He spoke to the Rev. John C. Adams of Huron, Ohio, the Liberty Committee's executive director, at the request of the Rev. Jay Alford and other local campaign supporters.
Hagan also said Williams "hired" Tracey Winbush, executive director of New Vision Youngstown, which is running an anti-Hagan campaign.
A county Republican Party consultant who coordinated the Bush-Cheney campaign in the county last year, Winbush said her past political work has nothing to do with the group.
It would violate federal law for Williams to have any involvement with New Vision.
Williams and Winbush say they are operating independently of each other.
When asked to prove a connection between the two, Hagan couldn't. But he said anyone who believes there is no connection is fooling themselves.
Attended Bush event
Hagan also said Williams, a registered Democrat who's received support from members of his party and Republicans, attended a President Bush event.
Williams, who was Youngstown Community Development Agency director at the time, said he and other city officials, including other Democrats, were asked to attend Bush's invitation-only May 25, 2004, appearance at Youngstown State University to discuss health-care reform. Williams said it would be foolish to miss an opportunity to hear the president speak if invited, regardless of his political affiliation.
There are four other candidates in the mayoral race: Maggy Lorenzi, Brendan J. Gilmartin and Joe Louis Teague, all independents, and Republican Robert Korchnak.
'Desperate'
While calling Williams a hypocrite, Hagan said he is the victim of a smear campaign by extremists out to distort his record, including claims that he sponsored a bill to legalize marijuana. Hagan's bill would legalize the drug for medicinal purposes only.
"Jay Williams, his friends, those who support him and right-wing Republicans are desperate," Hagan said.
Hagan said Republicans are looking to get Williams elected as mayor to help their 2006 statewide candidates and the 2008 presidential nominee.
Williams said Hagan's allegations are "absolutely ridiculous and absurd."
Williams said Hagan, a state senator, talks about his success working in a bipartisan way with Republicans in Columbus.
"But he sees my campaign as part of a large scheme to attack him," Williams said. "At the last minute, you focus on telling people why they should vote for you. Any undecided voters would be turned off by his rhetoric."
During his press conference, Hagan mentioned that he's done door-to-door campaigning in 37 of the city's 88 precincts. Williams didn't have an exact number when asked how many precincts he visited, but said it was about 40 to 50.
skolnick@vindy.com