(WEST ORANGE, AUGUST 23) - Schundler for Governor campaign manager Bill Pascoe, responding to a frivolous lawsuit filed today by the McGreevey for Governor campaign, issued the following statement:

“Jim McGreevey -- a man who, despite running for Governor for five years, four months, and 15 days, has YET to offer a credible plan for lowering property taxes -- is trying to throw sand in the eyes of New Jersey’s voters with this lawsuit. He shouldn’t utter the words ‘campaign finance’ until he cleans up the fundraising abuses that his Democratic colleagues, Jon Corzine and Bob Torricelli, have inflicted on the voters of New Jersey. Leadership is about setting a positive example. McGreevey’s silence on Sens. Corzine and Torricelli’s campaign finance abuses proves that Jim McGreevey lacks the leadership to be Governor of New Jersey.

“And just for the record, none of the coordination alleged in the McGreevey lawsuit has taken place.

“I find the alleged ‘examples’ of coordination cited in the McGreevey press release to be laughable on their face. To wit:

“During Bret’s meeting with President Bush on July 2, the President said he wanted ‘to help him [Bret] any way we can.’ Note to Jim McGreevey: pay attention to the key words, ‘any way we can.’ The President obviously is aware of the law regarding coordination, and was saying in this very statement cited by the Democrats that he understands there are some things he can do and some things he can’t, and was saying he wanted to help in ways that he COULD.

“The RNC, the RSC, and the Schundler campaign do NOT use the same polling firm. Our campaign uses Public Opinion Strategies, Inc., of Alexandria, Virginia, NOT McLaughlin and Associates.

“Republican State Committee Chairman Joe Kyrillos is, in fact, a member of the Republican National Committee. So are the State Chairmen of 49 other states. And the point is …?

“I personally served as the Press Secretary to the Republican National Committee, as the McGreevey suit contends, PRIOR to joining the Schundler campaign. And the point is …?

“RNC Chairman Jim Gilmore did NOT hand Bret a check ‘for more than $14,000 the night of the Republican primary,’ as alleged. Governor Gilmore handed Bret a check for $7,200 that night -- and that was an inadvertent mistake, a check larger than the $2,600 allowed by law. In full compliance with the law and established procedure, we deposited the check and then wrote the RNC a check refunding the $4600 overage.