Noy says he's pushing ahead with Schmidt complaints

Despite rumors to the contrary early today, independent congressional candidate Nathan J. Noy says he will press ahead Thursday on four of his five complaints filed last week against U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, alleging she embellished her marathon feats.

Philip Richter, executive director of the Ohio Elections Commission, said he has a conference call later today with attorneys for Schmidt and Noy. While hearing some of the same rumblings that Noy might withdraw some complaints, Richter said nothing definitive is in writing.

"I don't want to get ahead of the game,'' Richter said this afternoon. "I don't have anything in my hand that says he's withdrawing."

The elections commission is set to hear the complaints against Schmidt, a Republican from Miami Township, during a 9 a.m. probable cause hearing Thursday.

Noy claims Schmidt misrepresented the number of times she ran various marathons and how well she placed. He even alleges she fabricated a finish line photo after the 1993 Columbus Marathon. A spokesman for Schmidt called the accusations crazy, releasing photos of all her race medals.

Noy, who is an attorney, said he obviously will defer to any advice from Richter. "If he tells me to withdraw a complaint, it wouldn't make any sense for me to not follow his advice."

A fifth complaint by Noy says Schmidt made false statements about who was responsible for reporting she had a second undergraduate degree during an April 28 interview on Local 12 Newsmakers, saying "it was a mistake made when some people were helping me put together a web site."

Joe Braun, Schmidt's attorney, reportedly will argue that that issue already has been heard and decided by the state elections commission.

In April, Schmidt received a public reprimand from the elections commission for claming she had a second degree from the University of Cincinnati that she never received.

Noy said he only plans to withdraw one complaint about Schmidt's ranking in Lead Clermont, a community college class, when she wrote on her web site: "Graduate of Lead Clermont, # 1 Class, University of Cincinnati, 1993."

"Technically it was the first class ever of Lead Clermont,'' Noy said today, "even though I believe she intended it to lead people to believe she graduated #1 in the class."

"My other four complaints are still rock-solid as far as I’m concerned and I have no intention of withdrawing them,'' Noy said. "We will let the OEC decide if they pass the probable cause criteria tomorrow."