
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 21, 1993                   TAG: 9310210236
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

PUBLIC STAMPS ANTI-ROBB MAILING

Mailing an article attacking Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va., to news media at taxpayers' expense was appropriate because the public's perception of Gov. Douglas Wilder has been influenced by Robb and his staff, a Wilder spokesman said.

The op-ed piece by Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political science professor, was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and headlined "Robb Has Yet to Refute Sex, Drug Allegations."

An Oct. 12 memorandum addressed to "national reporters/editors" was printed on governor's office stationery under the name of Glenn Davidson, Wilder's director of communications, and was enclosed with the opinion piece. "I thought that the accompanying article . . . might be of interest to you," it said.

Davidson said this week that a member of his staff prepared the mailing while he was overseas on a trade mission with Wilder. He said he did not approve the mailing directly but was aware of it.

He could not say how much the mailing cost, but said it was an appropriate expenditure of taxpayer money.

The mailing "was in defense of our administration," he said. "It has nothing to do with the future political aspirations of the governor."

Wilder plans to challenge Robb for the Democratic nomination in next year's U.S. Senate race.

Last year, a 1991 memorandum written by a Robb aide criticizing Wilder was leaked and published in newspapers. The memo suggested ways to undermine Wilder and boost Robb's political stock.

One option was to release a tape recording of a cellular telephone conversation of Wilder and an associate in which Wilder commented on drug rumors surrounding Robb. Excerpts of the tape were leaked to two newspapers in 1991.

Three former Robb aides were convicted of federal violations in an investigation of the tape; a grand jury refused to indict Robb.

Robb has denied allegations of womanizing and attending parties where cocaine was used while he was governor of Virginia between 1982 and 1986.

Robb had no comment on Wilder's distribution of the Sabato article. His campaign director, Susan Platt, said Robb "will continue to concentrate on the important statewide and delegate races at hand."

Julie Lapham, director of Common Cause of Virginia, called the mailing "appalling." She said it clearly is intended to further Wilder's political ambitions.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB