PITTSBURGH -- The city's three mayoral candidates faced off in a WTAE-TV Channel 4 debate on Wednesday afternoon.
The session with Democratic incumbent Luke Ravenstahl and independent candidates Kevin Acklin and Franco "Dok" Harris grew heated when Acklin questioned Ravenstahl's association with a private businessman John Verbanac.
NOTE - The debate will re-air on WTAE Channel 4 on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 2:05 a.m. to 3:05 a.m. Video:
Acklin Questions Ravenstahl's Relationship With BusinessmanAcklin: "We have very specific documents and e-mails that prove that Mr. Verbanac has had a very intimate relationship with your administration. He's written your speeches, he literally puts words into your mouth. He's called the shots on who you hire and fire. He advises you on city policies and developments, including developing your strategic plan. What business interest does John Verbanac have before your administration or with any of these city authorities?"
Ravenstahl: "First of all, he has none. I answered the question last week. He is a friend of mine. Your accusations are wrong, they're inappropriate and I think they show the level to which, apparently, this campaign is going to go over the next couple of weeks."
Acklin: "The mayor just lied again. We have information and documents and e-mails that prove very clearly that Mr. Verbanac has an interest with four city enterprises that lobbied your administration with respect to the gaming license."
Ravenstahl: "I don't understand your point, Kevin. John Verbanac is a friend of mine, yes."
Acklin: "Who very much is actively involved in your adminstration, and at the same time, literally has business interests in front of the city that we have documentation to prove. Isn't that the definition of corruption?"
Ravenstahl: "Not at all. Because I have conversations with a gentleman who's a friend of mine?"
Video: Watch Bob Mayo's Report On The Mayoral DebateThe barbs continued after the debate.
Acklin: "If this isn't corruption, I don't know what is."
Ravenstahl: "I'm not sure exactly what Mr. Acklin is referring to. I think it shows the desperation right now in his campaign."
Acklin said the mentions about Verbanac and Ravenstahl's relationship "aren't attacks. These are facts."
Ravenstahl called the tactic "a desperate attempt by a desperate candidate to try to create some interest in a race, and it's uncalled for."
Verbanac issued the following statement to Channel 4 Action News following the debate:
"I consider myself to be a valued friend and advisor to this Mayor, his predecessor and a number of current and former public officials, non profit and private business leaders. The fact that a desperate candidate in an effort to bolster his failing campaign would attempt to impugn me or the Mayor is distasteful and wrong and an example of why voters are so disenchanted with politics."
Harris refrained from joining the fight.
"You hear whispers all the time. We don't have a stack of documents like the Acklin campaign or try to paint any kind of pictures. What we're doing is we're trying to bring a positive message," said Harris. "I'm not for sale, my campaign's not for sale, and when I'm mayor, Pittsburgh won't be for sale either."
THURSDAY UPDATE FROM TEAM 4 INVESTIGATIONS:
For the second straight day, Acklin drew ammunition from internal e-mails he obtained between Ravenstahl and Verbanac.
"The mayor and his administration supported positions that that would have been financially beneficial for Mr. Verbanac and his partners," Acklin said during a news conference at his South Side campaign office. "That is the point and the problem."
Video:Watch Team 4's UpdateThere's no doubt that the e-mails obtained by the Acklin campaign show a direct and personal relationship between Ravenstahl and Verbanac. Verbanac gave political advice and wrote speeches for the mayor.
But Team 4's Jim Parsons reported that most of the e-mails are more than two years old, and none of them show that Verbanac got any kind of a sweetheart deal from the Ravenstahl administration.
Acklin points to Verbanac's business ties to the company that wanted to put a casino at Station Square, as well as a development at the LTV site in Hazelwood, but state officials ultimately decided against both projects.
"So the suggestion that somehow he has been enriched or benefited by these decisions, it shows in the proof -- it hasn't happened," Ravenstahl told Parsons.
Parsons responded, "Well, he says that's because you're either incompetent or ineffective."
"Well, once again, it shows the level to which one is going to stoop in these last weeks of the campaign," Ravenstahl said.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
To learn more about the candidates running for mayor and information about voting, visit this link:
Commitment 2009 Candidates
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