Two local candidates jockeying for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District race sparred over attack ads that began running earlier this week.

A television ad attacking the business record of a former state and federal prosecutor competing for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District race drew a swift rebuke.

Muskogee businessman Wayne Herriman’s campaign ad takes aim at Rob Wallace of Fort Gibson. Herriman’s TV spot focuses on a mining business with which Wallace said he was involved “for a short period of time almost 20 years ago.”

Wallace’s campaign manager criticized Herriman for being the first candidate to go negative with what it described as “wild, deceptive and hypocritical attacks.” Kyle Gott described his candidate’s opponent as “the worst kind of politician.”

“Wayne has touted his business record, but he lives in a glass house,” Gott said. “He was late on his taxes five times, and the government even shut down one of his businesses for not following the rules.”

A spokeswoman for Herriman’s campaign said comments coming from the Wallace camp about his opponent “are patently untrue — period.” Jennifer Smith said the “irony here is that Rob Wallace’s claims are only true about himself.”

Smith scoffed at claims by the Wallace camp that Herriman launched the first attack ad. She said Herriman’s attack ads, which have escalated during the week, were prepared in response to an ad filed and logged by the Wallace camp with area broadcast outlets Monday, a claim Gott said “is simply false.”

“That statement is as ridiculous as the misleading negative attacks they are using against Rob,” Gott said. “There is no way our ad produced on Tuesday morning could have been aired before Herriman's spot (began) running on Monday evening.”

Herriman’s ad, along with documents provided by his campaign staffers, take aim at Wallace’s previous ads showing him to be a “straight shooter.” The subject is Wallace’s ownership interest in a mining company incorporated in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

The mining company was sued in 1999 for breaching a lease agreement for equipment used in the mining operation. It also was subject to an administrative order issued by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for violations of the company’s mining permit that included the failure to comply with reclamation requirements and monitor surface and groundwater.

Wallace said his interest in the company was granted in exchange for legal work he did for the corporation and its founder. That work included drafting the incorporating documents, helping patent some mining equipment, and signing a personal guarantee for the lease agreement.

The former prosecutor said he had no personal involvement with the company’s day-to-day operations, serving only as its registered agent and legal counsel. The permit violations, documents indicate, occurred under the watch of a second company that mined the site in Arkansas.

“I’ve been talking about the issues, about things the people in the 2nd District are concerned about,” Wallace said, noting his dismay about his opponent’s “misleading” ad. “He is talking about things that happened nearly 20 years ago, and I’m talking about things that are going to happen for the next 20 years. I think that’s where the focus needs to be.”

While Wallace took Herriman to task about negative attacks, his campaign began broadcasting an ad that cites the Muskogee businessman’s failure to timely pay property taxes and a failed lawn care business. The business, Lawns Unlimited Inc., was suspended in 1992 for failure to “comply with the requirements of the Oklahoma Tax Act.”

Smith said Lawns Unlimited was started in 1988 by Herriman and a business partner with whom he parted ways a couple years later. The suspension, Smith said, was ordered after Herriman left the company and his partner failed to pay an annual franchise fee of $25.

“There is a stark difference between Wayne Herriman and a man whose company was fined thousands of dollars for breaking the law and for failing to protect groundwater,” Smith said. “They can vote for a small business owner and a veteran who knows how to meet a payroll and has served our community in Mr. Herriman, or they can vote for someone who had his wages garnished for $57,000 after he failed to pay creditors.”

Wallace said his portion of the judgment was about $25,000, which was paid in a timely manner. Regardless, Wallace expressed his disappointment with Herriman’s decision to go negative in the campaign.

“We’ve seen too many of these political games in Washington, and we don’t need them in Oklahoma,” Wallace said. “I am disappointed my opponent would rather dump his own money into the race and hide behind these misleading attack ads than debate me or discuss the issues with the voters of the 2nd District.”

Herriman and Wallace are two of three Democrats on Tuesday’s primary ballot. They face Earl E. Everett, a former educator from Fort Gibson whose campaign has been rather low key.

In-person absentee voting begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. Friday. It will continue from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday. Precinct polling will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Reach D.E. Smoot at (918) 684-2901 or dsmoot@muskogeephoenix.com.