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Norfolk Candidate White-Battle Indicted on Campaign Charges

Posted on: Thursday, 2 February 2006, 09:00 CST

By Michelle Washington, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Feb. 2--NORFOLK -- A grand jury on Wednesday indicted Sherry White-Battle, who ran for treasurer last year, on felony and misdemeanor counts related to her campaign.

White-Battle faces one felony count of election fraud. The indictment says she lied on "a statement, form or report" required by election laws.

She also faces 11 misdemeanor counts of violating disclosure requirements for political campaign advertisements. Those charges relate to television ads White-Battle ran in the days leading up to the Nov. 8 election.

The felony carries a penalty of one to 10 in prison and a $2,500 fine. Each misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Under state law, when a candidate mentions an opponent in a television spot, there must be a disclosure, in the candidate's voice, stating that he or she paid for the advertisement.

Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney John R. Doyle III said in November that in three of White-Battle's campaign ads, two did not have verbal disclosures and the other used a man's voice in the disclosure.

In one spot, the disclosure said a political action committee called Christian Leaders of Tomorrow paid for the ad. However, records from the station that aired the commercial showed that "Friends of Sherry Battle" paid for it. Christian Leaders of Tomorrow was not registered with the State Board of Elections as a political action committee.

Doyle asked the Hampton commonwealth's attorney's office to review White-Battle's ads. Doyle cited a conflict because he endorsed one of White-Battle's opponents, Democrat Vivian J. Page. Incumbent Thomas W. Moss Jr. won the election.

Hampton prosecutor Matthew Hoffman said he could not comment on why he decided to pursue criminal charges rather than civil penalties against White-Battle.

All of the indictments say that White-Battle "willfully" broke the law.

Reached at her home, White-Battle said she hadn't heard of the charges.

"You've just made me aware," she said. "Thank you."

Reach Michelle Washington at (757) 446-2287 or michelle .washington@pilotonline.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Virginian-Pilot

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