Campaign

GOP says Dem candidate housing illegal immigrant

by Michael O'Brien - 09/24/08 7:19 PM ET

Democratic congressional candidate Sharen Neuhardt has harbored an illegal immigrant from Rwanda on her farm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) alleged Wednesday.

{mosads}Neuhardt had housed Ishema Umuhoza, a 26-year-old Rwandan political refugee, since 2002, according to the Dayton Daily News. The refugee had his application for political asylum denied, but Neuhardt and her husband are in the process of appealing the denial.

The NRCC slammed Neuhardt, accusing her of running a “sanctuary city” on her farm, while also playing up Umuhoza’s arrest record — four traffic violations and two charges related to public intoxication.

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“Ohio voters want a representative who will help solve the illegal immigration problem, not one who contributes to it,” said NRCC spokesman Brendan Buck.

The Neuhardt campaign condemned the attack, saying Republicans were “cowardly attacking a survivor of the Rwandan genocide for political gain.”

Neuhardt is running against state Sen. Steve Austria (R) to replace Rep. David Hobson (R), who is retiring.

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