Cong. OH-13: Foltin (R) Staffer Caught Infiltrating Sutton (D) Campaign

The Cleveland Plain dealer is reporting that Sean Hicks, a member of the campaign staff of 13th Ohio Congressional District candidate Craig Foltin (R-Lorain), signed up as a volunteer for the campaign of Betty Sutton (D-Copley) under the fake name "Nick Brinda," resulting in the photograph at right in which Sutton is introduced to Hicks (in the yellow shirt with the Sutton sticker) as a volunteer. Hicks also contacted the Sutton campaign by email with the signature "Cheers, Nick," and on another occasion called the Sutton campaign with a request for information using the alias "Andy Deluciano." The subterfuge unraveled when a Sutton staff member recognized Hicks.

The Foltin campaign asserts that the candidate was not personally aware of Hicks' underhanded activities. Hicks has been "told not to wear Sutton campaign stickers and not to misrepresent himself," but apparently has not been fired. "It's sad that Craig Foltin has to resort to these dirty, unethical, desperate tactics," said Sutton campaign manager Jeff Gordon.

UPDATE: A week later, Foltin has still delined to fire the guilty party. In a TV news report broadcast August 17 on Cleveland station WEWS Channel 5, Foltin said "I don't think he's a criminal or playing dirty tricks. It's just a young guy who just made a mistake." Sutton spokesman Jeff Gordon said the stunt harkens back to the days of Republican dirty tricks, and "Craig Foltin clearly condones this type of behavior."