HEATHER WYSOCKI

HWYSOCKI@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Candidates for Republican primary in congressional special election

Clawson showed up and responded to their questions; campaign responded earlier in the day with video from the victim's mom.

The conference occured before a scheduled debate at the Lee County School Board building, where all four candidates pledged to stop the negative ads against each other and urge their SuperPACs to do the same.

On the steps of the old Lee County courthouse Wednesday, three Republican candidates on the 19th District congressional primary ballot challenged opponent Curt Clawson to answer some questions.

So he did.

Shortly after Lizbeth Benacquisto, Paige Kreegel and Michael Dreikorn finished their statements about Clawson and their wishes to run a clean campaign until the April 22 special election primary, Clawson strode in to a smattering of applause.

"Do y'all wanna hear from me?" he asked.

Clawson addressed the list of questions that have been brought up about his connection to a Utah sex offender and a home he owns there that was left off his federal financial disclosure forms.

His appearance was an answer to the challenge made by his opponents in a joint statement released Tuesday, which said the event was to demand answers to the questions they believe Clawson hasn't fully answered.

"We've had enough scandals. These are serious issues … it's time to get some real answers, to real questions, that people deserve," Kreegel said at Wednesday's event.

At times, the event seemed more like a professional wrestling match than a news conference, as Clawson received jabs from his opponents, called Kreegel and Benacquisto "career politicians" in return and received jeers and applause in turn.

Benacquisto and Kreegel left shortly after Clawson arrived at the microphone, though some campaign staffers remained. Dreikorn, who was the only one to receive praise from Clawson, stayed for the duration.

Media and cameras outnumbered the spectators gathered, and the "community leaders and law enforcement officials" the candidates' news release said would attend were not there.

During their statements, Clawson's opponents said they believe his answers did not always line up, and that specific questions — such as how closely he is connected to Utah sex offender Glen Borst — were answered differently by Clawson and his campaign staffers.

In his response, both at the microphone and to individual questions after, Clawson elaborated on answers he gave Tuesday on Borst and on the home that connected them.

Clawson, 54, met Borst, 55, in the 1970s and didn't see him again for decades, he said.

In 2004, Borst pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, served four months in jail and was registered as a sex offender.

Borst and his wife, a real estate agent, handled the 2006 purchase of the Saratoga Springs, Utah, home, in the same way Clawson uses property managers at many homes he owns. He gave Borst a 30-day power of attorney to handle the transaction, he said.

The home was sold this year to help fund the campaign, "and now months after that I found out there was a crime in the family and there was a family tragedy here that I did not know about," Clawson said.

In a video released earlier in the day by Clawson's campaign, the mother of the child Borst abused said Clawson "had nothing to do with our private family ordeal."

His federal financial disclosure form didn't include the home because it was not an investment property and didn't receive rental income during the required reporting period. He has three other properties that weren't on the form for the same reason, he said — and because his accounting firm said it was not necessary, he said.

"We have a very good accountant. My accountant doesn't make a lot of mistakes," he said.

For Dreikorn, who spoke first at the event, Wednesday was a chance to bring the candidates together to end the negative campaigning he's railed against throughout the election, he said.

"One of the things I've been challenged with today is should I even show up for this … I was very, very conflicted. But I decided I needed to do this because we need to stop all this negativity now," Dreikorn said while standing with the other candidates.

Clawson's appearance was surprising, "but in a good way."

"I really didn't expect him to show up, but I really respect the fact that he did show up," he said.

During their statements, Benacquisto and Kreegel said they'd also like to see the negative campaigning end, and Kreegel asked the PAC that supports him, Values Are Vital, to end its negative ads, too.

The questions about negative campaigning didn't stop on the courthouse steps.

The conference preceded a forum at the Lee County School Board in which all four candidates were asked about their negative ads and whether they'd stop.

Each said they would.

"I'm glad this moment has come. It's unfortunate it had to … I hope you hold us to it," Benacquisto said.

Campaign staffers for Benacquisto and Kreegel did not return email messages seeking comment on why no community and law enforcement leaders were in attendance and whether they are satisfied with Clawson's answers.

Early voting upcoming

Voters can go to the polls in advance of the April 22 special election starting this Saturday from 10a.m.-6p.m. at various locations in Lee and Collier counties. The early voting period ends April 19.