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Hafer swipes at Critz, selection process

Democrat Barbara Hafer has launched an all-out offensive on her main opponent for a special election nomination, seeking to discredit both Mark Critz and the process that party insiders say is likely to give him a leg-up for the nomination to finish the late John Murtha’s term in the 12th District.

Hafer, a former state treasurer and auditor general, made the attacks Wednesday, in what was effectively the first volley of the Democratic contest. In doing so, she made some serious charges about Critz, but didn’t provide new evidence. And in a move that carries both political promise and peril, her comments were not-so-indirectly aimed at the Murtha legacy itself.

In an interview with The Post-Gazette, Hafer called for Critz, Murtha’s former district director, to release records of his interview with the Office of Congressional Ethics, which recently cleared Murtha, posthumously, on allegations of trading campaign contributions for federal earmarks.

“We want to know what he testified to and what documents did he hand over to the House ethics committee when he testified recently,” Hafer said.

She also raised questions about Critz’s relationship with Coherent Systems, a defense company that was representing by the lobbying group at the center of the ethics inquiry.

Critz did not return calls seeking comment, but he told The Inquirer that he would ask the ethics office to release the records. He also assailed Hafer for making the allegations on the day of a service in Washington honoring Murtha, who died last month.

“The House Ethics Committee exonerated Mr. Murtha,” Critz said. “Ms. Hafer knows better and should be ashamed to be engaging in these types of dirty political tactics on this of all days.”

Hafer also sought to discredit the process by which 12th District party insiders will recommend a candidate for the special election at a meeting on Saturday. The state party’s executive committee has the final say after that.

Nothing that 57 conferees are being added to the pool of 43 state committee members with votes on Saturday, Hafer questions how Critz could make the claim that he already has 50 votes, when less than that many voting members have been made public.

County party chairs are appointing the additional 57 conferees, and with his longtime knowledge of players in the district, it’s possible Critz had an early window into who will be voting. Regardless, some Democrats are already asking if the process is rigged. Few Democrats expect Hafer to fare well this Saturday, but she has said she’ll still run in the May 18 primary even if she isn’t the party’s nominee for the special election to be held that same day.

“I think the southwest caucus vote is flawed and non-transparent and non-democratic,” Hafer said.

State party spokesman Patrick McKenna, in a comment to The Inquirer, shot back: “The recommendation process in the 12th District is transparent, representative, and fair. The recommendation convention rules are broadly inclusive and designed so that as many citizens… as possible can have their voices heard.”

March 4, 2010 at 10:40 am

--pa2010.com Staff

Tags: Barbara Hafer, John Murtha, Mark Critz, PA-12

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