QUALITY ISSUES ACROSS THE AREA. ALL RIGHT, MICHELLE, THANK YOU. A ROCKINGHAM COUNTY COMMISSIONER SAYS ONE OF HIS OPPONENTS IN THE RECENT ELECTION CROSSED THE LINE FROM MUDSLINGING TO DEFAMATION. AND TODAY HE IS SPEAKING OUT. BILL O’NEIL JOINS US IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY WITH THIS STORY. A PROPOSED CASINO HERE IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY LED TO A VERY DIVISIVE RACE FOR COUNTY COMMISSION IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY, ONE OF THE CANDIDATES ACCUSED INCUMBENTS ON THE BOARD OF BRIBERY. JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE PRIMARY, REPUBLICAN COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATE GREG ZIEGLER ADDRESSED MEMBERS OF A LOCAL CHURCH WITH THIS MESSAGE. COMMISSIONERS HAVE TAKEN BRIBES TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO THAT’S AGAINST US. YEAH, WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF HIS CLAIM, MR. ZIEGLER ACCUSED COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ACCEPTING BRIBES. WE DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS, COUNTY COMMISSIONER MARK RICHARDSON SAYS THE CLAIM IS A, QUOTE, BLATANT UNTRUTH AND THAT ROCKINGHAM COUNTY DESERVES BETTER. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THAT YOU HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF TAKING A BRIBE? WELL, FRANKLY, I WAS ASTOUNDED. UH, I DON’T KNOW WHY THAT STATEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT RICHARDSON, A THREE TIME COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SAYS THE ACCUSATION OF TAKING A BRIBE GOES BEYOND NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING. IF I HEARD ABOUT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TAKING BRIBES AND I COULD STAND SUBSTANTIATE IT, I WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF OUR COUNTY. THAT’S A CRIME. WXII 12 NEWS REACHED OUT TO MISTER ZIEGLER FOR COMMENT. HE DID NOT RETURN OUR CALL, AND THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE, A STRONG OPPONENT OF CASINOS, LOST THE ELECTION, FINISHING FIFTH IN THE PRIMARY. YOU’VE BEEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME, HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY STEPS TO DEFEND YOURSELF? WELL, NOT LEGALLY AT THIS TIME, OTHER THAN I HAVE SPOKEN TO ATTORNEYS THAT BELIEVE THIS IS DEFINITELY A CASE OF DEFAMATION, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE HAVE, UH, HARD EVIDENCE, UH, UH, IT’S IT’S NOW A DECISION ON WHETHER I WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT EFFORT AND KEEP THIS WOUND OPEN. RICHARDSON SAYS HE MET ZIEGLER FOR THE FIRST TIME AT A POLLING SITE SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCUSATION WAS MADE. HE DID APOLOGIZE. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NEVER A RETRACTION OF THE STATEMENT, AND THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES AFFORDED HIM AFTER THAT. SO I WAS A BIT DISAPPOINTED, RICHARDSON SAYS HE HOPES THE TONE FROM THE LAST ELECTION ISN’T A SIGN OF FUTURE POLITICS IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. I FRANKLY THINK, UH, SOME OF OUR BEHAVIOR DURING THE ELECTION WAS IMMATURE AT BEST. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE OBJECTIVITY AND MATURITY. I’D LIKE TO SEE US BE KINDER TO EACH OTHER, MARK RICHARDSON SAYS HE HAS TALKED WITH HIS ATTORNEY ABOUT A POSSIBLE CIVIL LAWSUIT. HE ALSO SAYS THAT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. TODAY, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY SAYS NO COMMENT IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. I’M BI