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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994                   TAG: 9406290081
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

PEROT GROUP DENIED PARTY STATUS

The decision was a minor setback to independent U.S. Senate candidate Marshall Coleman, who had been endorsed by the group.

The group of 12 people from across the state organized a successful petition drive in 1992 to place Perot on Virginia ballots. Perot got 14 percent of the state vote. The group claimed it deserved status because, under state law, an organization may be recognized as a political party if it has received more than 10 percent of the vote in a recent statewide election.

But the election board, by a 2-1 vote, ruled that the Perot backers failed to meet other tests to qualify as a political party.

Lewis S. Herrink Jr., chairman of the group, acknowledged that he has held no general membership meetings since last June. All decisions, he said, have been made by the 12-member board of directors. There have been no elections of officers, he added, since mid-1992.

The decision to form the Virginia Independent Party and endorse Coleman was made during a directors' meeting earlier this month, he said.

``This seems like a board of directors with no shareholders,'' said election board Commissioner John H. Rust Jr. ``In my mind, the membership has little voice in electing their officials.''

Rust also said the group failed to provide the board with ample information about its organization and bylaws.

The group could have significantly aided Coleman's fund raising had it been recognized as a political party. Under federal law, individuals are limited to making $1,000 contributions to Coleman's campaign.

But supporters can give an additional $5,000 to a political party, which can earmark the money to help a candidate purchase advertising time or send out promotional brochures.

A spokesman for Coleman said the decision will not affect the campaign. ``Marshall Coleman is still on the ballot and the endorsement [by the Perot group] is not the basis of his campaign,'' said Anson Franklin, Coleman's campaign manager.

Herrink said his group may fight the ruling in court. ``We're not very pleased about this, nor are we very surprised,'' he said.

In other news Friday, former Gov. Douglas Wilder named a media consultant to his independent campaign for the Senate: Gerald J. Austin of Columbus, Ohio. In 1988, Austin managed Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign.