UPDATED: Miller asks stations to pull Republican ad claiming he traded 'tax breaks for a job'

For a time Wednesday, it appeared Newport News Sen. John Miller (D) got stations to suspend a Republican ad critical of him for taking a job at an aviation company after he backed a bill to give his future employer a tax break.

His campaign issued a statement saying two network affiliates agreed to pull the spot because it contained falsehoods.

And GOP officials, thinking the commercial would be canceled, mocked Miller for disptaching "a team of lawyers to intimidate TV stations into removing the ads."

By that evening, however, at least one station (WTKR) confirmed it would continue to air the television ad that likens Miller's actions to those of disgraced former Del. Phil Hamilton, a well-known Peninsula Republican sent to prison for public corruption.

The general manager of another, WAVY, declined a request for comment about whether the station had ceased running the ad.

"John Miller co-sponsored and voted for a big tax break for Orion Air. When the tax break took effect, Orion gave Miller a cushy new job and thousands of dollars in campaing cash, too," a narrator says during the ad. "Trading tax breaks for a job and campaign cash? Looks like John Miller is just the latest politician out for himself."

(A mail piece with a theme similar to the TV ad has been sent to district voters, too.)

The GOP-funded commercial -- a $50,000 expenditure by the party for anti-Miller ads has been reported by the Virginia Public Access Project -- is scheduled to run on local cable and broadcast stations through next Tuesday.

That's when 1st Senate District voters will choose between Miller and Republican restauranteur Mickey Chohany of Williamsburg. The 1st is a primarily Peninsula district that includes a piece of Suffolk.

Attention to Miller's job as director of community relations at Orion Air Group came after it was reported on the Bearing Drift blog.

Orion is eligible for tax breaks through legislation carried by Republican Sen. Tommy Norment and co-sponsored by Miller.

The law exempts companies from paying the aircraft sales and use tax if they invest at least $4 million and create at least 50 new jobs in Virginia, which the company has done.

Miller and company officials have denied there's any link between the legislation and Miller's job. Orion has given Miller $2,500 in contributions: $1,000 last October and $1,500 in May. He joined the company in July.

Messages seeking comment from Miller's campaign weren't immediately returned Wednesday.

UPDATE: Miller spokesman Matt Larson fired back Wednesday, calling the latest Republican tactic "a desperate smear" that is "emblematic of everything voters hate about negative, dishonest campaigning."

Larson also accused Chohany of being complicit in the attack while hiding that he "directed taxpayer dollars to line his pockets while on the Williamsburg City Council."

As evidence of that claim, Larson cites two separate votes Chohany cast as a member of council in support of projects to improve the street in front of his restaurant.

The ads against Miller are funded by the state GOP. Chohany has said he didn't incite them.

UPDATE 2: Reached by phone Wednesday afternoon, Chohany said the Miller campaign "laughably" misrepresented those votes.

One was to authorize spending for road work approved before he was on council, and the other project never materialized, he said.

"That's totally a distortion," Chohany added. "They're trying to divert attention to me because of the issues within their own campaign."

-- Julian Walker

Anti_sen Miller Flyer 11-02-11

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.