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Museum: Sullivan's claims "recklessly false"

Justin Juozapavicius

A board member of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum demanded Wednesday that U.S. Rep. John Sullivan withdraw "recklessly false allegations" he made in a recent mass mailing to voters about how his political opponent managed the facility.

Sullivan's claim that the museum was "nearly ruined" while Jim Bridenstine served as its executive director are untrue, museum attorney Greggory Colpitts said in a statement. Bridenstine, a Navy pilot who is challenging Sullivan in the 1st Congressional District, lead the museum from December 2008 to August 2010.

The statement was a rare move for the museum's leadership board, which last week said it did not want to get involved in the heated political race for the northeastern Oklahoma district that includes of Tulsa. Bridenstine and Sullivan _ both Republicans _ will face off during a June 26 primary election.

Sullivan's campaign refused to back down Wednesday, saying the facts spoke for themselves, and it accused Bridenstine of being unwilling to own up to past failures. Last week, Sullivan accused Bridenstine of mismanaging the museum's finances and leaving someone else to clean up the mess.

Colpitts' statement refuted those and several other of the claims Sullivan's claims, saying the allegations "were a reckless denial of the facts, and the Tulsa Air and Space Museum demands that Sullivan for Congress publicly withdraw the allegations made by it."

Bridenstine, who has tea party backing, has defended his record as the museum's chief. He acknowledges that the museum took on losses under his leadership _ nearly $383,000 in 2009 and 2010, according to tax forms _ but maintains that the red ink was justified because he was trying to attract a retired NASA shuttle for the facility.

He told The Associated Press last week that the operating losses were "intentional," because the museum, which receives no public money and relies heavily on donations from citizens and foundations to make ends meet, was trying to make itself a "nationally recognized institution."

Bridenstine stood by those statements Wednesday, and accused his opponent of continuing "to cross the line with his distortions and falsehoods" and of bringing a "Chicago style of politics to the 1st District."

"The Tulsa Air and Space Museum continues to make official statements that set the record straight," Bridenstine said to supporters at a news conference Wednesday.

"This is embarrassing for our incumbent politician," he added. "John Sullivan has been sending out a negative campaign piece nearly every day, each one filed with distortions and untruths designed to tear at my character. Why? Because he is desperately clinging to his job."

Sullivan campaign manager John Tidwell said Wednesday that the information available, specifically the museum's the tax forms, should stand as "the final word" on the matter.

"He has long held that his time there was a success and we strongly disagree with his assessment," Tidwell said in a statement. "Additionally, it must be noted that Mr. Bridenstine's campaign released the information on TASM initially out of pure desperation. Jim dragged them into this fight and that is certainly unfortunate that they would bring a nonprofit into the political realm."

The candidates have been sparring for months. A radio debate earlier this month descended at times into a shouting match, and Bridenstine has accused his opponent of ducking several other opportunities to debate him because he lacked the courage. Sullivan responded that the congressional voting schedule left no room in his schedule.

Bridenstine has also lashed out at Sullivan for missing hundreds of votes in the 10-plus years he's been in Congress. Sullivan has stated that he missed votes due to a death in his family and treatment at the Betty Ford Center for alcoholism in 2009.

At a political forum last week, Bridenstine told an audience that he was running against "a career politician." Sullivan said he stood by his record and told the audience he was the most conservative member of Oklahoma's congressional delegation.

Sullivan is among three of Oklahoma's four Republican congressmen who are facing challenges within their own party on June 26.

Democrat John Olson, the owner of a small business, and Independent Craig Allen, an airline pilot, will also be on the 1st District ballot in November.

The Associated Press