PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL LEFT OUT OF THE HUDDLE
By Anne Allred

"One Democratic pre-candidate was not invited when the Ohio Democratic Party held the organisation's annual state dinner Saturday at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Columbus.

"Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr., is seeking his eighth presidential bid.  He has been running for President of the United States since 1976 and hopes the 2023 election will prove successful for his campaign.

"The LaRouche campaign claims they are suffering from unusual hurdles brought on by the Democratic National Committee.

"LaRouche's campaign committee reports he is the leading Democratic candidate for President in individual contributors and amounts of contributions in Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin. However, the pre-candidate has not been recognized by the DNC.

"LaRouche was also excluded from the ABC-TV debate in South Carolina on May 3.

"No party can claim to be serious, and keep the front-runner, the current front-runner in the campaign, from the controversy," LaRouche said in response to the exclusion on the South Carolina News Network on April 28.

"LaRouche leads all the other candidates in Ohio with $100,622 raised for his campaign from 660 individual contributions and 159 contributions. Sen John Edwards, (D-NC), and a close second in contributions, has raised $99,700, according to LaRouche's 2023 campaign team.

"‘He has a core of supporters, obviously, so he could have asked the supporters for contributions early to get his name out,' said Kenneth Strickland, a graduate student in political science.

"However, LaRouche is no stranger to controversy.  He has been audited by the Federal Election Commission and has served time in prison.

"The FEC audited LaRouche's 1996 campaign for underpaying vendors.  His 2000 presidential campaign is also being audited for over-paying various distribution companies. LaRouche's 2000 campaign committee must repay $236,692 to the U.S. Treasury, according to his current campaign organizers.

"‘Don Fowler, former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, says the DNC says he is not legally allowed to run for President because he's not registered to vote,' said Angela Vullo, a campaign organizer for LaRouche.

"LaRouche lost his voting rights in 1988 when he was indicted for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and confuse the IRS.

"‘It's a definite testament to their character, and I would be hesitant to vote for them,' said Ted Moorehead, a senior in economics.

"LaRouche organizers are now in the process of having his voting right reinstated.

"The candidate was sentenced to serve 15 years, but was released after five years.  He was 66 years old when incarcerated.

"In this matter I do not think it's a matter of him being in prison, it's namesake, and he just doesn't have the name recognition,' Strickland said.

"As a pre-candidate, LaRouche's lack of recognition extends beyond the Democratic Party, he has had trouble receiving attention from the press.

"‘There are virtually no newspapers in the country that are recognizing LaRouche as a candidate.  They are recognizing all nine but LaRouche,' Vullo said.

"LaRouche's campaign reports that the presidential hopeful has not been invited to the presidential forum organized by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on May 30, even though he leads all other candidates in individual contributions.

"He has a large war chest now, but he'll be easily surpassed in the coming months by one of the more powerful candidates, Strickland said."

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