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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > September > 24 > Entry
Neuhardt accuses Austria of low blow; Austria accuses Neuhardt of lousy judgment
Sharen Neuhardt’s congressional campaign Wednesday, Sept. 24, accused opponent state Sen. Steve Austria’s campaign of smearing the Rwandan refugee that lives with Neuhardt and her husband just outside of Yellow Springs in an effort for political gain.
“Steve Austria knows his campaign is desperate and he will do or say anything to get elected, including cowardly personal attacks. He’s stooped so low as to attack Sharen’s family for standing up and doing what’s right,” said Jessica Kershaw, spokeswoman for the Neuhardt Campaign. “Austria’s errand boys pushed this cowardly attack and in doing so are attempting to make a victim of the Rwandan tragedy a victim again.”
Ishema Umuhoza, 26, a University of Dayton graduate, fled the Rwandan genocide at 11 years old. He came to the United States when he was 15. His first application for political asylum was denied - as was its appeal - without his knowledge, and the Neuhardts are working to get asylum for him.
In a story in the Dayton Daily News Wednesday, Sept. 24, Austria’s campaign manager said the campaign was reserving judgment on the issue, but said “harboring an illegal immigrant with a criminal record is a serious matter.” He was referring to four traffic violations as well as a recent citation for disorderly conduct in Yellow Springs after a couple reported seeing a man, apparently intoxicated, lying in the street.
Umuhoza has also been picked up twice before for public intoxication and currently has an active warrant in Dayton Municipal Court for one of those arrests, which occurred in 2006.
In an interview Tuesday, Neuhardt said Umuhoza was like a son, and described him as a wonderful young man who worked his way through school, but who remains naive about the U.S. legal system. She expressed outrage that he had become a campaign issue.
“This smear attempt is telling of Steve Austria’s true character,” Kershaw said.
Austria, a Republican, and Neuhardt, a Democrat, are running for the 7th Congressional District.
UPDATE: Here’s Brad Mascho, Austria’s campaign manager:
“As the facts of this year’s long case come to light, there are many concerns about the poor judgment of attorney Sharen Neuhardt. It appears she is knowingly willing to ignore the law and court records. As a sworn officer of the court, any allegation that Sharen Neuhardt harbored an illegal immigrant for several years is a serious matter. Questions about attorney Sharen Neuhardt’s involvement in his past and the providing of safe harbor to a person with active warrants deserve answers and more thorough scrutiny from the appropriate officials.”
“Our campaign learned of Sharen Neuhardt’s involvement harboring an illegal immigrant from the Dayton Daily News. Now it appears Sharen Neuhardt is attempting to divert attention from her own misdeeds by playing politics with the very important issue of illegal immigration.”
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Comments
By Daniel Young
September 25, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
Is Mr. Macho secretly working for the campaign of Senator Obama? By energizing Democrats upsetting charitable Christians, his smutty tactics ostensibly undertaken on behalf of Senator Austria could swing a very tight Ohio race in Obama’s favor.By matt davis
September 24, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
I don’t see where this is about the young man. This about Sharen’s lack of judgement. She calls him a fine young man, but this is a person who has committed numerous criminal acts. She could very well lose her law license for this malfeasance.By matt davis
September 24, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this
I don’t see where this is about the young man. This about Sharen’s lack of judgement. She calls him a fine young man, but this is a person who has committed numerous criminal acts. She could very well lose her law license for this malfeasance.