Smith says Dem challenger owes him an apology for getting facts wrong

An outraged U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-Hamilton) wants an apology from his Democratic challenger for calling him a bigot and for falsely charging that he concealed campaign contributions from two conservative Christian groups.

Democrat Josh Zeitz, a college history professor challenging the fourteen-term Congressman, released a video this week seeking to dispel the notion that Smith is a moderate. Yesterday he took that a step further, calling Smith a “bigot.”

Zeitz’s claims were amplified by an article in The New Republic, a left leaning magazine, which yesterday outlined Smith’s ties to what Zeitz called “religious-right hate groups.”

Today, the magazine retracted part of their story and, Smith says, apologized to him.

According to Zeitz and the article, Smith sat on the board of a group called Christian Voice in the early 1980’s, which supported racially segregated private schools. The article also highlights that Smith authored legislation that would bar openly gay people from working federal jobs or for employers that receive federal funds.

Zeitz went on to point to a bill Smith voted for in 1981 that would “restore non-profit status to segregated private schools.”

"Chris Smith is an extremist," said Zeitz Campaign Manager Steven D'Amico in a statement. "There is nothing moderate about racial segregation. There is nothing moderate about denying jobs and education to millions of gay Americans. There is nothing moderate about taking away the right to use common, everyday birth control. These are unacceptable positions that are out of step with basic human decency."

But Smith refuted the claim that he failed to report campaign contributions from two right-wing Christian groups, and produced documentation showing that he did report a combined $4,200 from The National Christian Action Coalition and Christian Voice made in 1980 and 1982, respectively, that the article and Zeitz’s subsequent press release charged he did not.

The New Republic has since corrected its story, and Smith says Frank Foer, the editor, left an apologetic voice mail for Smith acknowledging that the publication was “clearly in the wrong” regarding the donation reporting.

“They falsely accuse me of not filing my FECs. They retrieved that information in mid-July in a manipulative way,” said Smith of Zeitz’s subsequent press release, which insinuated that Smith tried to conceal the donations. “He’s defamed my character.”

Smith went on to argue that the 1981 vote Zeitz brought up was by no means an extremist one, with 383 members of the House voting with him on it. He said that his contention that it was up to the Justice Department, not the IRS, to decide whether an educational institution is engaging in discriminatory practices. Voting with Smith were some liberal luminaries and prominent Democrats, like U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and current House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). From New Jersey, former U.S. Rep. Frank Guarini also voted with Smith, as did former U.S. Rep. Jim Florio, who Zeitz would work for after he became Governor.

“I would defend Steny to the death. He’s not a segregationist,” said Smith. “To take that vote and say that I’m for racial segregation and a bigot, I demand an apology. Just like he did with his statement that I failed to abide by FEC rules and report contributions. He calls these organizations racist. He throws racism, misogynistic and homophobic around – you don’t do that. False charges have no place in public discourse.”

Smith acknowledged that he did sit on an advisor’s board of Christian Voice, which the article charges spread false information about HIV/AIDS during the 1980s. Smith, however, said that he works with all kinds of groups that oppose abortion. He went on to point to his support of AIDS relief programs at home and abroad.

“It was a board of advisors that had no role other than just being on the list. They were very pro-life, I’m very pro-life,” said Smith.

And while Smith suggested that the magazine and Zeitz’s campaign were in cahoots over the article, Zeitz spokesman Steve D’Amico said that Zeitz’s press release from yesterday was only basing its facts off the article, and that they have nothing to apologize for.

“The only person who owes an apology to anybody is Chris Smith and he owes that to every single person in the state of New Jersey for the very outdated and inexcusable votes and statements,” he said. “The bottom line is that Chris Smith is trying to blame the fact that he’s voted for segregation and tried to discriminate against the entire gay population that he’s tried to ban birth control and he’s trying to blame it on Josh Zeitz? The only one he has to blame for this story is himself for holding these opinions.”

D’Amico said that just because the majority of congressmen at the time, including Florio, voted for the 1981 legislation doesn’t make it right.

“All of those Congressmen were wrong,” he said. “All the other kids are doing it is not a legitimate excuse for a teenager, and certainly not a legitimate excuse for a Congressman defending segregation.”