Detroit News: Gary Peters' ad makes allegations that have not been substantiated

Last Updated: October 01. 2010 1:00AM

Ad Watch
Catherine Jun / The Detroit News

The ad
A 31-second television ad slams U.S. congressional hopeful Andrew (Rocky) Raczkowski about a lawsuit filed against him in South Dakota in February 2009. The first page of the suit, filed by concert promoters in Texas, appears behind images of the candidate's face. Incriminating words, some from the suit, appear in bold, and several unidentified, would-be voters question whether they can trust Raczkowski: "If he's ripped off his business partners, how can we trust him?"

Who funded: Gary Peters for Congress

The race: Raczkowski is challenging U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, for Michigan's 9th Congressional District. Election Day is Nov. 2.

What it says
1) The ad says Raczkowski is "being sued by his former business partners for theft, fraud and conspiracy."

2) The ad cites court documents that say Raczkowski "set up a concert ticket scheme that bilked his partners out of $6 million" and "witnesses say he lied about evidence and destroyed documents to cover it up."

What record says
1) The 10-page lawsuit describes Star Tickets, Raczkowski's company, as a vendor, and one hired to sell tickets at a concert in South Dakota in the summer of 2008; it doesn't describe Raczkowski as an invested partner.

2) The damages sought a total of $6.5 million, but the plaintiff is seeking that from Raczkowski and the two other vendors. The plaintiff accuses Raczkowski specifically of destroying ticket stubs to misrepresent the number of ticket sales at the event. However, the suit offers no definitive evidence, only deductive conjecture: "It is my belief that Raczkowski had to destroy (and did destroy) ticket stubs...." Furthermore, witnesses have yet to give testimony supporting the plaintiff's claims, and a court has not yet adjudicated the matter.

In response to the ad, Raczkowski filed a defamation suit Monday in Oakland County Circuit Court, suing Peters and Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party.

Reality check
The ad makes allegations that have not been substantiated or adjudicated in court.

cjun@detnews.com (313) 222-2019



From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101001/POLITICS02/10010376/Ad-Watch#ixzz11RPZjMyD