Is it a campaign conspiracy, or is Jerry Airola as untrustworthy as his opponents in the sheriff race claim?The millionaire chopper pilot has hit some severe turbulence in recent days, including criticism from newspaper investigations and now a website called "Swift Chopper Pilots For Truth." It calls Airola "a liar, a thief, and a Scientologist."
Fourteen people are running for sheriff, but one man seems to be getting most of the attention. With giant signs, TV commercials and banners pulled by aircraft, Airola has paid for a huge amount of campaign publicity, but lately, his critics are ganging up and now the negative publicity may be taking a toll.
With just one week of campaigning left until election day, it has become a real shootout for sheriff, and no one is taking more hits than Airola. Airola says he's now the target of people who are running scared.
"You don't have to be a Rocket Scientist to figure out what's happening," he said.
The local Police Union has endorsed Doug Gillespie for Sheriff and has planned a news conference to highlight what they call misrepresentations made by Airola, including his many assertions about having an extensive police background.
Review-Journal Columnist John L. Smith says Airola has brought the attacks on himself and his opponents are orchestrating an all-out blitz in the final days of the campaign.
"His opponents are absolutley orchestrating it - that's politics," said Smith.
Airola's campaign commercials show him in one of the helicopters he owns, but 25 of his flight school students have filed lawsuits against him. As for the Scientology issue, Airola admits to being involved with one of Scientology's front groups that teaches business strategies, but says he has never been a member of the church.
Because there are so many candidates running for sheriff, it has been hard for pollsters to figure out who really has the advantage right now.
The top two finishers in the primary will move on to the general election in November. In the coming weeks we'll likely be seeing a lot more flyers and television ads for all the candidates.
