Iwans wasn’t in trouble for presumably trying to trick minority voters into thinking Sessoms and Obama were pals. His legal problems arose because he neglected to attach the required disclaimer showing who paid for the ads.

Iwans called it an oversight, saying that he paid for the materials himself.

A spokesman for the prosecutor who was brought in to try the case disagreed.

"This wasn't a personal political expression by Dave Iwans," he said at the time, according to The Virginian-Pilot. "This was intended to deceive voters.”

When I talked to Iwans on Thursday afternoon he confirmed that the two anti-Moss ads were produced by his agency. He said the ads began to air about two weeks before the election. That’s the perfect time to hit the public with an ad campaign, he told me.

”Spending early and then not having enough money to finish is a big mistake,” he said. “People aren’t focused on elections early.”

What he didn’t say was that by waiting until almost the eve of the election to launch an assault on a populist candidate without the funds to fight back inflicts maximum damage.

Yet Moss told me yesterday he wasn’t completely blindsided. A prominent businessman at the Beach called Moss and gave him a heads-up.

“He told me that there were some ugly ads coming,” Moss recalls. “He wanted me to know that the Chamber had asked him to contribute to help pay for them, but he turned them down.

“He said that while he didn’t usually agree with me he thought I’d done good job and that if the Chamber didn’t like it they should just run a better candidate.”

Despite the warning, Moss couldn’t effectively counterpunch. He didn’t have the cash to go up against the nearly $150K campaign.

Some members of the Chamber were stunned by the negative advertising. Sure, the organization usually endorses business-friendly candidates, but its PAC had never engaged in dark ads targeting one candidate.

“I don’t recall any ads for or against candidates,” said Virginia Beach Chamber Board of Directors member Delceno Miles, president/CEO of the Miles Group. ”The Chamber usually endorses candidates which just means they can use our name.

“I saw them (the ads) when you did,” she said, confirming that even board members weren’t consulted. “That’s not what the Chamber does. It was pretty aggressive and I didn’t know why they just picked one candidate to go after like that.

“I’m not going to quit the Chamber over this but I hope they don’t do anything like that in this year’s election or ever again.”

Another of the Chamber’s Virginia Beach Board of Directors, Mike Standing owner of Waterman’s Surfside Grille, wasn’t happy either.

“They didn’t talk to the board of directors, they didn’t talk to the members,” Standing said. “A small group of developers was able to get together and use the Chamber’s name to advance their agenda.

“That’s not right. Let them form their own PAC, but don’t ruin the reputation of the Chamber over this.”

“I don’t always agree with John Moss,” Standing added. “But I think we all agree he has integrity… Frankly, I think Moss and Jessica Abbott and Bobby Dyer are good for business because they want a level playing field.”

I left Chamber president Bryan K. Stephens a voicemail yesterday but he didn’t return my call. Ira Agricola, the Chamber’s Executive Vice President for Government Affairs did however, but said he couldn’t comment on the PAC’s activities. Only Stephens could speak on the matter.

Still waiting.

If Stephens calls, I have lots of questions.

Who was behind the ad campaign? Were past or present city officials pulling the strings? Was this done to help Chamber board member Dee Oliver who ran against Moss? Has the Chamber become a political pit bull, willing to ditch its polite pro-business image to torpedo candidates who get under the skin of some of its members?

These two groups were clearly desperate to defeat Councilman John Moss and willing to distort his record to do it. They weren’t successful, but they came awfully close.

In the process, the Chamber tarnished its reputation and looks like a tool of local crony capitalists.

If I belonged, I’d resign.