Pasco: Political fliers sling accusations

Political fliers sling accusations

Tax Collector Mike Olson is considering a lawsuit over a flier that claims he sexually harassed six former employees.

By ALISA ULFERTS

If you don't think politics is about sex and money, read the flurry of last-minute campaign fliers mailed out to voters this week.

One accuses Tax Collector Mike Olson of sexually harassing his employees and of calling a female employee into his office to discuss her "crotch."

Another refers to Olson opponent David "Hap" Clark as "The Man Who Brought Gambling to Pasco County."

County Commission candidate Peter Altman has been late more than 20 times with his taxes and fees, and wanted to paint a mural of a giant naked woman on a downtown office building, according to opponent and fellow Democrat Eileen Ferdinand's fliers.

The primary is Sept. 5.

Olson says this election season is the nastiest he's ever seen -- and that he just might sue.

"I don't know if there's time to file a lawsuit tomorrow, but we'll find out," Olson said Thursday. Despite Clark's claims, Olson said he's never sexually harassed any of his employees nor has anyone ever filed a sexual harassment complaint against him.

So where did the accusation come from? According to the flier mailed by Clark, it came from six former employees who recently have filed state ethics complaints against Olson.

"Mike Olson sexually harassed, emotionally abused and politically exploited six former employees," Clark says in his flier. The words are printed in red to the side of a sad-faced young woman.

Five former employees have given copies of their ethics complaints to the Times. Although all of those complaints accused Olson of emotional abuse and running campaigns on taxpayers' time, none of them accused Olson of sexual harassment.

And the young woman who was allegedly called into Olson's office to discuss her crotch told the Times on Thursday that she hasn't filed a complaint. Although a female supervisor did tell the woman some of her skirts were so short that her crotch was visible to customers -- an accusation the woman denied -- Olson said this remark was "woman to woman," even though it was in his office. The chastised employee was fired several days later.

"I never sexually harassed anyone," Olson said Thursday. "They will answer for this."

They, according to Olson, most likely are the handful of prominent Republicans who have endorsed his opponent Clark. Because there are no Republicans or third-party candidates in the race for tax collector, all registered voters can choose between Democrats Olson and Clark.

Olson has called Clark an "unwitting pawn" in a game played by "Republican mucky-mucks."

He also called him a few other things in his latest flier, such as the man who brought gambling to Pasco County. Clark owns property that he rents to gambling ships in Port Richey.

"Now David "Hap" Clark thinks the voters will overlook his gambling ties and elect him tax collector," Olson says in his flier, and then adds a personal message to Clark: "Hap, Don't bet on that."

Clark could not be reached Thursday, but Olson said his flier is justified because the tax collector has to handle $220-million each year and keep the public's trust.

As for Altman, he had to deal with two fliers from Ferdinand this week. One called voters' attention to his short-lived proposal while mayor of New Port Richey to duplicate a tourism poster from New Port Richey's sister city. That poster featured a naked woman whose privates were mostly covered. Altman acknowledges that idea wasn't his finest, even though it never got past the discussion phase.

That didn't stop Ferdinand from printing on her flier: "Do You Want To See A Giant Naked Woman Painted On The Outside Wall Of A Downtown Building? Peter Altman Did."

Ferdinand's second flier points out that Altman has been late more than 20 times in paying various county taxes and fees, including some property taxes.

"The pieces I've done are about community values," Ferdinand said and added she thought voters should know that Altman, an accountant, was late with some payments.

Altman says his dedication to public service and his clients at times has come at the expense of his personal obligations.

"I'm running for County Commission and not against Mrs. Ferdinand. And evidently she's running against me," Altman said and added that Ferdinand has said she wants to develop an ethics code for the county if she's elected.

"It's unfortunate that we're not seeing that in her campaign tactics," Altman said.

- Alisa Ulferts covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is ulferts@sptimes.com.