Questions remain over who's behind PAC
Chairman, tied to unsuccessful mayoral primary candidate, has history of legal trouble
NWI Times
Oct 31, 2007
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/questions-remain-over-who-s-behind-pac/article_9b830216-5c89-51eb-bdba-295d8bfb4d2b.html
PORTAGE | Candidates on both sides of the Portage mayoral race say they have no idea who is behind the newly formed Democrats Against Lake County Politics political action committee.
Police, however, are more familiar with one of the men registered with the political action committee, Nathan Ritchie, who has convictions for invasion of privacy and dealing marijuana.
Ritchie, 25, is registered as chairman and Rudy Alfaro is registered as treasurer of the committee.
The committee, which formed Oct. 19, drew attention over the weekend by posting yard signs throughout the city urging voters not to vote for Olga Velazquez.
Ritchie has ties to Portage Street Department Superintendent Steve Charnetzky, who lost in the May Democratic primary to Velazquez and subsequently has been working for Republican James Snyder in his effort to gain the mayor's seat.
Ritchie was a supporter of Charnetzky's during the primary. He can be seen in a Times photograph at Charnetzky's headquarters the night of the primary wearing a Charnetzky T-shirt. The photograph ran in the newspaper May 9.
Among Ritchie's several run-ins with law enforcement were an invasion of privacy conviction in 2002, where he was fined and served 90 hours of community service, and a guilty plea on two counts of selling marijuana to an undercover police officer in 2004. Ritchie also has several traffic citations, ranging from speeding to driving on a suspended license.
Snyder said he does not know the two men involved in the political action committee nor does he have any knowledge of their activities.
Neither Ritchie, Alfaro nor Charnetzky returned messages Tuesday.
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