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Candidates Undaunted By Advocacy Group's Dispute: Some of Those Running Under the Banner of PACleanSweep Say a Lawsuit Brought By Three of the Organization's Board Members Against Its Former Chairman Won't Cost Them Votes.

Posted on: Sunday, 23 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Kori Walter, Reading Eagle, Pa.

Apr. 23--A political advocacy group formed to sweep incumbent state lawmakers out of office has been busy lately cleaning up its own mess.

Lebanon County businessman Russ Diamond founded PACleanSweep after the July 7 legislative pay-raise fiasco.

On Thursday, Diamond resigned as chairman of the nonpartisan group to concentrate on running for governor as an independent candidate.

His resignation came two days after three dissident PACleanSweep board members sued Diamond in Lebanon County Court. The suit centers on a dispute about who is in control of the organization and its assets. Diamond said during an appearance in Alsace Township last week that he does not believe the strife will hurt the PAClean-Sweep candidates at the polls in the May 16 primary election.

"We've talked to a lot of candidates and at first they were worried about the kind of fallout that would come from this," Diamond said. "But it's not a big deal because PAClean-Sweep is in their (the candidates') hands now.

"Frankly, this (dispute) is something that is embarrassing to me. It's a family squabble that should've been settled privately."

CleanSweep's main goal was to recruit candidates and get their names on the ballot, Diamond said.

Now that roughly 100 Clean-Sweep candidates are on the ballot, Diamond said it's pretty much up to the individuals to win their races.

So other than organizing rallies and Diamond's appearance on behalf of CleanSweep candidates, the group has not taken an active role in raising money or providing volunteers to campaigns.

"The closer we get to the primary the less we can do for candidates," Diamond said, adding that CleanSweep is a nonprofit organization.

Berks-area candidates running for the state House of Representatives under the Clean-Sweep banner in the May 16 primary election said they have no worries about the squabbling costing them votes.

"My chances are what they are regardless of what Clean-Sweep may be doing internally," said Republican candidate Billy A. Reed. "I don't think the internal things are what people are worried about."

Reed, a Rockland Township auto body shop owner, is running on the CleanSweep slate in the 130th District against 10-term Republican Dennis E. Leh.

And Reed is not bothered by the group's lack of active campaigning.

"CleanSweep did its job," Reed said. "It brought together candidates who want to clean up government."

Republican candidate Gary Hornberger agreed with Reed that Diamond's battle with board members will not distract voters still seething over the pay raise lawmakers voted to give themselves in July.

Hornberger, the Schuylkill County controller, is trying to oust nine-term incumbent Republican Bob Allen in the 125th District. The Schuylkill-based seat dips into northern Berks.

"The fact that PAClean-Sweep might be having problems does not change the fact that lawmakers voted for a pay raise for themselves at 2 a.m. on July 7," Hornberger said.

The raise was repealed in November after months of unrelenting public outrage.

Laureldale Democrat Irv Livingood said the CleanSweep Web site has been a good source of information for his campaign to defeat seven-term incumbent Democrat Dante Santoni Jr. in the 126th District.

But Livingood acknowledged he was hoping the group would have provided more help with door-to-door campaigning.

"I thought I would get more help in terms of people," said Livingood, a Muhlenberg Township senior mechanic. "Trying to cover all this ground by going door to door is brutal, especially if you are going to cover every precinct in the district."

Contact reporter Kori Walter at 610-371-5022 or kwalter@readingeagle.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Reading Eagle, Pa.

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Source: Reading Eagle

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