Campaign controversy prompts lawsuit

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) - A candidate in a hotly contested race just turned up the heat

Republican congressional challenger Rocky Raczkowski said he will haul Congressman Gary Peters into court over a political ad that is burning up the airwaves.

The ad claims that Raczkowski is being sued by former business partners for theft, fraud, and conspiracy.

The political commercial has prompted the GOP challenger for the 9th Congressional District to sue the Democratic incumbent, Gary Peters for defamation.

Raczkowski said the commercial is filled with misleading lies and deceptive language and that it is just Peters's way of ducking the real issues.

"Well, Mr. Peters has shown continuously that he is afraid of running on his own records and wants to basically mislead the voters with misleading, deceptive statements about my personal record," Raczkowski said.

The commercial doesn't accuse him of any wrong doing, just spells out the allegations against him.

"It's a very serious charge of fraud, theft and conspiracy. And it's going to take quite a bit of time for Mr. Raczkowski to defend it," Peters rebutted.

Peters added that the gist of the commercial is simply to let voters hear what they have a right to know.

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, is heading up a "truth squad" in support of Raczkowski, saying that Rep. Peters ad is negative.

Peters said Patterson is "flip-flopping" and supported the Republican candidate who ran against Raczkowski in the primary election.

Peters and Raczkowski face off in a debate Monday night at the Oakland County Commissioners Auditorium.