Congressional Champion Gets CULifeline

PAINSEVILLE, Ohio - (10/29/04) -- Credit union executives in thestate's 14th House district are working in the final days of theelection to see that congressional credit union champion SteveLaTourette survives what has turned out to be a tight race for hissixth term. The 50-year-old Ohio Republican, chief sponsor of HR1151, the 1998 CU Membership Access Act, and CURIA, the pendingregulatory relief bill for credit unions, was hurt by a publicdivorce battle over the past year and allegations, since confirmedby him, of an affair with his chief-of-staff-turned lobbyist. "Herehe is, our hero, and he's kind of getting dragged through the mud,"John Florian, chief lobbyist for the Ohio CU League, told TheCredit Union Journal, of charges lodged by LaTourette's Democraticopponent Capri Cafaro, a 26-year-old millionaire heiress. Creditunion executives were raising money and volunteering forLaTourette's campaign in the final days of the election. Both CUNAand NAFCU has contributed the maximum allowable $10,000 toLaTourette's campaign.