The gasoline’s on Hill today

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August 30, 2006

Campaign event could prompt vote buying accusation

By DAVID MANN The News and Tribune Wed Aug 30, 2006, 04:57 PM EDT

The U.S. Attorney’s office is unable to say whether a Baron Hill campaign event scheduled for Tuesday will earn him the same result as that of a fellow Democratic challenger: A federal inquiry.

An event in which Hill plans to purchase gas for motorists mirrors an event by another Democratic congressional candidate, which has prompted accusations of vote buying in Kentucky.

According to a press release distributed by the Hill campaign Monday, the former congressman plans to pump gas for customers himself at a rate of $1.80 per gallon — the same price as in August 2004, when he was in office. The event will take place in Bloomington where gas prices are currently about $2.66 — Hill's campaign will pay the difference.

Mike Weaver, a Democratic candidate for Kentucky’s 2nd District congressional seat, held a similar campaign event earlier this month. According to the Associated Press, Weaver pumped gas at a price of $1.20 per gallon — the price of gas in 1994 when his opponent, incumbent Republican Ron Lewis, was elected.

But could the event be considered an attempt to buy votes?

Lewis thinks so.

Less than two weeks ago, the congressman held a press conference in Elizabethtown, Ky., in which he announced that the U.S. attorney’s office was looking into the matter at his request. In making the case for investigators, Lewis cited several quotes from voters that appeared in Elizabethtown’s News-Enterprise. One woman reported that the gas giveaway “probably wouldn’t hurt Weaver’s chances in November and may have won her over.” Another motorist who received subsidized gas during the event was quoted in the story saying, “I came here trying to save some money but I'm leaving as a voter more than anything.”

Sources at the Lewis campaign said they have not heard anything new from the office. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Louisville could not confirm or deny whether the investigation was still on-going.

Lewis called the Kentucky event “quid pro quo activity.” Others are not convinced it is such.

“I could see how someone would raise an issue about it,” said Linda Gugin, professor of political science at IU Southeast. However, she said, “It’s not like he’s exchanging gas for votes.”

Hill is trying to make a point about the current state of gas prices, she said. Hill doesn’t know what the motorists are going to do come Election Day.

The 1973 Federal Election Campaign Act strictly prohibits vote buying by forbidding any payment or offer of payment that is made to a would-be voter for voting. Assistant U.S. attorney Tim Morris acknowledged only that much during an interview Monday. He would not say specifically whether Hill’s event would fall into that category.

For its part, the Hill campaign was aware that accusations might come from the event. The event was discussed with the campaign’s attorney before it was announced, said Michael O'Connor, a Hill campaign manager.

“They’re obviously not happy with their position on gas prices.” The event is being held not to buy votes but to illustrate a point that gas prices have raised dramatically since incumbent Republican Mike Sodrel took office two years ago, he said.