Gov.-Elect Whitman’s Aide Rebuts Claims by Rollins

NEWARK, N.J. —  The woman who served as liaison to the black community during Christine Todd Whitman’s run for governor on Sunday rebutted claims by campaign manager Edward J. Rollins that she was told to tell black ministers not to preach against Whitman.

The state’s Democratic Party chairman said Sunday that they would seek to question Lonna Hooks as part of their lawsuit to overturn Whitman’s narrow victory.

In sworn testimony Friday to lawyers for the Democrats, Rollins insisted he fabricated his initial story: that $500,000 was spent to keep black ministers from preaching in support of Democratic Gov. James J. Florio and to have campaign workers stay home on Election Day.

But Rollins said in his deposition that he advised Hooks to tell black ministers disenchanted with Florio “as far as we’re concerned, we want to help them. Whatever their favorite charity may be, there are other ways of helping them besides state funding.”

Rollins testified he didn’t authorize Hooks to commit any money to the effort but told her: “Tell them, if they don’t go up to the pulpit and preach against us on Sunday, we’d be way ahead of the game.”

Rollins claimed he made the suggestion because the Florio campaign threatened to cut state aid to urban programs unless black leaders cooperated. Democrats deny any such threats.

Hooks said she never had any such conversation with Rollins and didn’t know what the Democrats did or didn’t do. She said she only mentioned to Rollins that black ministers supporting Whitman were being pressured by Florio’s people.