WASHINGTON -- Lawyers for Gary Hart argued Wednesday that 48 Walter Mondale delegates from Puerto Rico should be disqualified because the island's Democratic Party discouraged supporters of other candidates.
But lawyers for the Puerto Rican Democratic Party and Mondale said Hart dropped out of the primary before it was held March 18 because he had poor organization and it became obvious he was going to lose.
The charges were traded at a national party hearing before examiner Fred Israel. 'Democrats United,' a Puerto Rican group, challenged the Democratic Party's award of the entire Puerto Rican delegation to Mondale.
Israel will make a recommendation within 10 days to thhe party's Compliance Review Commission.
Hart's lawyers presented records showing radio station WKAQ in San Juan accepted advertisements for both the party and for Mondale from the 'Mondale-Presidente' committee with the product being the 'Democratic Party.'
The station submitted records saying that Mondale's name on its invoices was an error. Lawyers for all sides agreed the Mondale campaign did not pay for any advertising and did not have any delegate committees in Puerto Rico who paid for the ads. The 39 advertisements run on March 16-18 urged support for Mondale and were signed off, 'A message of the committee delegates with Mondale.'
Tom Milch, a lawyer for Hart, said, 'We believe that individuals in the leadership of the Puerto Rican Demcratic party, without authority from the Mondale campaign, ran these ads on his behalf.' Milch said the ads illustrated the bias of the official party in favor of Mondale.
The Democratic Party in Puerto Rico is controlled by the NPP, a pro-statehood party. The election was boycotted by the PPD, PIP and other anti-statehood parties, which ran independent caucuses. Those groups, operating as 'Democrats United,' brought the challenge.
