Ehrlich Campaign Funds Flier Campaign

BALTIMORE - Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich's campaign acknowledged funding groups that handed out sample ballots Tuesday that suggested that Ehrlich and Michael Steele are Democrats.

Under the heading "Democratic Sample Ballot," the fliers urge voters to select Ehrlich for governor and Steele, his lieutenant governor, for U.S. Senate, along with a largely Democratic slate of candidates for other statewide and local offices.

Shareese DeLeaver, a spokeswoman for the Ehrlich campaign, said the ballots were handed out by a group based in Prince George's County called "Democrats for Ehrlich."

"They're paid for in part by the Bob Ehrlich for Maryland Committee, as well as the Steele committee, as well as the Maryland GOP," DeLeaver said.

She said the fliers were not meant to imply that Ehrlich and Steele weren't Republicans, but that some Democrats were "expressing their support for Gov. Ehrlich at the top of the ticket." Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 in Maryland.

Democrats said similar ballots were handed out at numerous polling places in Baltimore, although DeLeaver said she was not aware of the campaign funding those efforts.

Some of the fliers include pictures of Ehrlich with Democrats Kweisi Mfume and Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson, both of whom have endorsed Ehrlich's Democratic opponent, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley.

"It's clearly a deliberate attempt to mislead, and it's unfortunate," Mfume said Tuesday. He said he hoped most voters would see through the tactic: "We have to assume ... that most people who received this will understand it for what it is."

DeLeaver said Mfume and Johnson were included on the flier because they were candidates that the "Democrats for Ehrlich" have supported in the past.

"The governor has made no secret of the fact that he is a Republican, as well as Mfume and Johnson have made it no secret that they're supporting the Democratic opponent at the top of the ticket," DeLeaver said. "It's not meant to be misleading."

The Maryland Democratic Party posted videos to YouTube.com of poll workers passing out the fliers and wearing Steele T-shirts at Thomas Johnson Middle School in Lanham. The workers said they were brought to Maryland on buses from Philadelphia.

Democratic State Sen. Lisa Gladden held a news conference in Baltimore to denounce the sample ballots, saying they gave the false impression that she and other Democrats support Ehrlich and Steele.

"Basically, he misused my name and reputation, which I think is an offensive action," Gladden said in a telephone interview. The Baltimore Democrat described it as "a dirty trick."

"There's nothing official about this ballot," she said.

Gladden said the use of poll workers from Philadelphia indicated Ehrlich didn't have enough support in Maryland. "He should have been able to find enough people in Maryland to support him and work his polls," Gladden said.

Audra Miller, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Republican Party, said Democrats' criticism of the fliers was overblown.

"Gov. Ehrlich and Lt. Gov. Steele absolutely should reach out, and it's entirely appropriate that they reach out to their Democratic supporters. That's exactly what they're doing," Miller said. "Over the last four years, it's been quite clear that Bob Ehrlich and Michael Steele are Republicans."

Meanwhile, the Steele campaign said it was not aware of a separate flier titled "Ben Cardin EXPOSED!" Cardin is a Jewish congressman from Baltimore who is running against Steele for Maryland's open U.S. Senate seat. The handout said Cardin "Promises to Attack Jesus Christ, Pastors, Churches and Christians and to Take Away Blacks' Freedom If He Is Elected."

Steele campaign staffers did not immediately return telephone calls Tuesday afternoon from The Associated Press seeking comment, but spokeswoman Melissa Sellers told The Washington Post that the campaign was not aware of the fliers.

The Post reported that the fliers were produced by Emma Jean Thompson, who appeared at a recent news conference endorsing Steele. Thompson did not immediately respond to phone messages left at her organization, MoovveItUp.org

The fliers urge churchgoing blacks to vote for Steele and say Cardin opposed the Bible's teachings on abortion and gay marriage and would oppose freeing blacks from prison when DNA evidence confirms their innocence.

Oren Shur, a spokesman for Cardin's campaign, said campaign operatives observed the fliers being handed out at churches in Prince George's that serve as polling places.

"This is a deceitful and desperate attempt by Michael Steele and his allies to mislead voters," Shur said, adding that the flier is "patently offensive and brings gutter politics to a new low."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)