The Ian Smith for Congress Campaign had a Cease and Desist letter hand delivered to congressional

candidate Bob Healey over the weekend, and today, the Healey Campaign hit back hard in defending key facts in the Smith case (see below).

The Healey campaign attacked Smith using “a provably false statement regarding hypodermic needles that has appeared in online reporting by a popular radio station,” according to the Smith Campaign. “The station was notified the statement is provably false and is being served with a Cease and Desist letter.”

In the letter the Ian Smith campaign demands the Bob Healey campaign “cease making the above alleged comments, and publicly apologize with the same exuberance you had when you made your statements.”

“I didn’t expect our campaign to have to get a lawyer to correct a provably false attack on Ian Smith hours after kicking off his campaign,” Smith campaign manager Tom Crone said. “Unfortunately, the outright provable lies from the Healey campaign regarding Ian Smith are egregiously careless or egregiously reckless. Regardless, it is a disqualifying action from an undisciplined and unprepared campaign.

“People have lost their faith in establishment-type politicians for this very reason.” Crone added, “The Healey campaign is out of touch and out of step with the people they hope to represent, unless you are looking for lies and obfuscation.

“As for the Ian Smith campaign as we await our apology, we will continue to focus our efforts on defeating Andy Kim and flipping CD3.” Crone said. “However, if the Healey campaign wants to continue to run to the gutter we are more than happy to follow them there and discuss Healey and his former band mates’ misogynistic actions, some of which are laid out in graphic detail in the third issue of Twisted Hillbilly Magazine.”

For the record, the Healey Campaign offered the following as proof of their core claims regarding Smith’s past:

“While we understand that Mr. Smith doesn’t want to talk about it, his criminal background is an issue voters need to be aware of, including the fact that he was – according to New Jersey Court records – charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia/hypo needle,” said Healey Campaign Manager Theresa Velardi.

Velardi attached court records detailing that Mr. Smith was charged with the following offenses for his part in a motor vehicle crash that killed an innocent teenager on April 28, 2007:

·       Death by Auto in violation of NJSA 2C:11-5A (Complaint W2007 256);

·       Possession of CDS in violation of NJSA 2C:35-10A(4) (Complaint Number SC 2007 6674);

·       Use or Possession With Intent to Use/Possession With Intent to Use Drug Paraphernalia (Hypo Needle) in violation of NJSA 2C:36-2 (Complaint Number SC 2007 6675); 

·       Operating a Motor Vehicle while under the influence of liquor or drugs in violation of NJSA 39:4-50 (Complaint Number E63348);

·       Reckless Driving;

·       Failure to Seat Belt;

·       Failure to Stop at Stop Sign;

·       and; Possession/Consumption of Alcohol Under Legal Age. 

As part of a guilty plea to Death By Auto (Vehicular Homicide) Mr. Smith was sentenced to five years and six months in State Prison.  Based on the same New Jersey Court records the charges for Possession of CDS in violation of NJSA 2C:35-10A(4) (Complaint Number SC 2007 6674), Use or Possession With Intent to Use Drug Paraphernalia (Hypo Needle) in violation of NJSA 2C:36-2 (Complaint Number SC 2007 6675) were disposed of at Superior Court. 

Velardi concluded: “Any further correspondence on this matter directed to me or the Healey for Congress campaign from Mr. Ghione or the Smith Campaign, should instead be sent to William R. Burns, in his capacity as Counsel for both Healey for Congress and myself.”