(March 26, 2008) -- In a press conference Wednesday Republican Ralph Sheffield called tactics by his opponent, Republican Martha Tyroch, in the upcoming District 55 runoff election "negative" and asked her to stop the attacks.
Tyroch has asserted that Sheffield to pay both state and federal taxes over the last 20 years and at times liens were placed on his businesses.
While Sheffield does not dispute the claims that he failed to pay taxes in the past, he says he is current on his taxes and has been for several years. Today, Sheffield went as far as to produce his most recent tax records to show that he is paid up to both the state and the federal government. He also said that he has paid all penalties and fines that were assessed as a result of the delinquent taxes.
Sheffield is using the tax issue as a positive. He says his past problems with state and federal taxes have made him a better businessman and that even during his problems paying taxes he always made payroll, keeping about 40 people continually employed.
Martha Tyroch, who did not wish to comment on today's press conference, or the call by Sheffield to halt negative ads, did issue a statement through her campaign manager. In the statement, Tyroch says, "Sheffield first didn't pay his taxes, then he didn't pay his creditors and now he's trying to mislead voters". The Tyroch camp went on to say they stand behind the ad and do not see it as a negative attack.
Tyroch's ad attacking Sheffield is in response to an ad by the Political Action Committee Empower Texans. Empower Texans recently spoofed a Tyroch TV ad, creating a parody of the ad and posing it on You Tube as well as the Empower Texans website. The Tyroch campaign asked You Tube to remove the video citing copyright laws; You Tube complied. Sheffield today said he had nothing to do with the Empower Texans ad and that he wished they had contacted him before creating it.
Sheffield also used today press conference to again call on Tyroch to meet him in an open forum. He claims that she has twice declined to debate him on the issues. Tyroch was not available to comment on that claim.
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