Airport Manager Says Name Was Forged

When readers of the Eagle Tribune opened their Sunday edition this morning a one-quarter page ad of City Council candidate Israel Reyes was staring back at them. With only two days to go before Lawrence voters choose their next set of representatives on the City Council, the Reyes campaign ad contained the endorsement of Lawrence Airport Manager Mike Miller.

The problem is, Miller says he does not endorse Reyes and didn't authorize the Reyes campaign to use his name in the ad.

The Eagle Tribune's strict policy on campaign ads is that any person's whose name appears in a candidate ad or endorsement must personally sign a release form authorizing the use of their name.

"I never authorized anyone to use my name for an endorsement. I certainly did not sign my name to anything like that," Manager Miller told tommyduggan.com this afternoon. Miller said he's not endorsing anyone in the race and was "quite surprised" to see his name in the Sunday Tribune. "I'm don't sign endorsements it would be inappropriate for me to do so."

"I spoke with Mr. Reyes and he said he is willing to correct the record if anyone asks, you should contact him."

The question here is how did Mr. Miller's name appear in the ad if Miller himself did not sign the release form and is not endorsing Reyes?

Miller called in to WCCM's Italian show with Nunzio DiMarca this afternoon to set the record straight. He said he was not supporting Reyes and that he had no prior knowledge of the ad's placement.