Ohio credit unions were working to see that congressional credit union champion Steve LaTourette was able to survive a tough race for his sixth term. The 50-year-old Ohio Republican, chief sponsor of HR 1151, the 1998 CU Membership Access Act, and CURIA, the pending regulatory relief bill for credit unions, was hurt by a nasty divorce over the past year and allegations, since confirmed by him, of an affair with his chief-of-staff-turned lobbyist.
"Here he is, our hero, and he's kind of getting dragged through the mud," said John Florian, chief lobbyist for the Ohio CU League, of charges and counter-charges by LaTourette's Democratic opponent Capri Cafaro, a 26-year-old millionare heiress. Credit union executives were raising money and volunteering for LaTourette's campaign in the final days of the election.
