News From Mollohan For Congress
For Release: April 17, 2010
Campaign Denounces Mike Oliverio's Television Ad Attacking Congressman Alan Mollohan
Congressman Alan B. Mollohan's campaign denounced Mike Oliverio for resorting to "the politics of personal destruction" in his campaign for Congress.
"It is disappointing that Mike Oliverio has decided to ignore the issues important to West Virginians and engage in this sort of personal attack instead," said Pam Van Horn, Mollohan's campaign manager. "Oliverio opened his campaign by making two promises, that he would not 'tear down Alan Mollohan' and that his campaign would instead 'build up the country.' It is clear that he is failing both tests."
"He has yet to articulate any vision for West Virginia's future. He cannot point to any jobs he has created. He can't decide whether he's for or against legislation that will ensure laid-off workers have access to health care," Van Horn said. "He opposed legislation that brought hundreds of millions of federal dollars into West Virginia for roads, sewers, schools, hospitals, broadband infrastructure and police departments - investments that have resulted in 14,000 jobs in our state."
"Unable to explain what he would do for the 1st congressional district, he has chosen instead to recycle discredited allegations invented in 2006 as part of a right-wing smear campaign against Congressman Mollohan," Van Horn said. "He knows that those allegations are false. He knows that they were launched to undermine Alan Mollohan's role in keeping then-Majority Leader Tom Delay from wrecking Congressional ethics rules. Michael Oliverio knows that the Department of Justice firmly rejected the allegations after a four-year investigation, completely exonerating the Congressman."
"What Oliverio seems not to know is what the voters of West Virginia need this year - someone who will fight for them in tough economic times and take on the special interests to create jobs, expand health care and protect workers," Van Horn said. "Alan Mollohan has a proven record of standing up for West Virginia. Apparently, all Mike Oliverio has is a dusted off, right-wing playbook, which the voters of the 1st district rejected before and will again."
As of 3/31/2010, Oliverio had $138,264 cash on hand compared to $280,803 for Mollohan. However, Mollohan has been far out fund-raising (and out-spending) Oliverio, with Q1 fund-raising of $706,727 for Rep. Mollohan and $240,160 raised by Oliverio.
