It’s getting ugly!
Republicans are accusing Democratic congressional hopeful David Weprin of sending spies to “volunteer” for rival Bob Turner’s campaign as a new GOP poll found Turner has pulled even in the race for Anthony Weiner’s House seat.
Turner campaign spokesman William O’Reilly charged that Assemblyman Weprin “is sending young people into Turner campaign headquarters pretending to be volunteers or college reporters. We have caught four of them already.”
“Only a career politician scrambling to save his hide would sink to such a low.”
Weprin spokeswoman Liz Kerr said, “I don’t know anything about it.”
She declined further comment on the explosive accusation.
The McLaughlin & Associates poll of 300 likely voters in the predominantly Democratic 9th Congressional District in Queens and Brooklyn showed the candidates tied at 42 percent after a July survey had Weprin ahead 43-35.
The pollsters said independent voters are breaking toward Turner as the Sept. 13 special election approaches.
But Weprin has raised more than three times as much as Turner, pulling in about $550,000, according to his campaign.
Turner raised about $143,000 and loaned himself $65,500, leaving him $96,500 in the bank, his disclosure reports show.
Weprin had not filed full disclosure forms as of yesterday evening, but records show he got $5,000 from the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers and $2,500 from Sterling Mets LP, owners of the New York Mets.
Turner raked in $5,000 from the National Republican Campaign Committee, $500 from the State Conservative Party, $1,000 from Home Depot founder Ken Langone, $5,000 from supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis and his wife, $7,500 from real-estate mogul Peter Kalikow and his family, and $500 from Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-Syracuse).
Meanwhile Weprin, stumping at senior centers in Queens yesterday, downplayed his decision to distance himself from President Obama in campaign literature and on the trail.
“I’ve never met President Obama. [Turner] is running against me,” Weprin said during an event at the Young Israel of Forest Hills Senior League.
Weprin also picked up the endorsement of the teachers union.
On the campaign trail, Turner joined former Mayor Ed Koch at the Kosher Palace supermarket in Sheepshead Bay yesterday and called on Obama “to cease sending aid to the Palestinian Authority.”