Manchester Alderman Candidate Outraged Over Campaign Flier

John Schrader said he did not think the election would come to this.

On March 25, Schrader, candidate for Ward 3 alderman in Manchester, received a campaign flier from the Committee to Re-Elect Don Ryan. Schrader is running against Ryan who is the incumbent Ward 3 alderman. Schrader said he was outraged at the flier and Ryan's smear tactics. The flier shows Schrader's face peering through the blinds of a window with the headline, "What's John Schrader hiding from you?" Patch readers can view the flier which is included in the photo section of this article.

"This is past the point of disgusting in my opinion," Schrader said of the flier, which was sent to other residents of Ward 3. The campaign flier accuses Schrader of being evicted from his home, living in Rolla, MO and filing for bankruptcy. The inside pages of the pamphlet have a screen shot of court records that appear under the name John Schrader on Case.net, the Missouri court records' database.

Schrader has openly admitted he filed for bankruptcy both in and on his campaign website, but said other information on that flier is false and misleading. He addressed each of the accusations.

"He says that I was evicted from my house," Schrader said. "We are sitting in my dining room right now, so obviously that's not the case. We've always made our house payments, we've always made our car payments, we've always paid our taxes."

Schrader currently works in Rolla. However, he said he leaves his house early in the morning and returns around 5:30 p.m. “like any other commuter.”

Schrader also addressed the court cases posted on Ryan's flier, seven total, three of which Patch confirmed through Case.net did not belong to the same John Schrader.

Of the other four other cases, one is a landlord complaint from 1988, which was dismissed by both parties according to Case.net. There are also two traffic tickets from that same year.

The final case, titled "U.S. Bank v. John A Schrader," was in regard to his credit card debt. This case was also dismissed after Schrader filed for bankruptcy.

Schrader said the information on the flier is false and that Ryan took cheap shots at him.

"This is just a flat-out smear campaign," Schrader said. "To think that this is what the election for an alderman has come down to. We are not running for a national office. Seeing something as filthy, nasty and disgusting like this, it just blew me away."

His wife, Kathy Schrader, said she expected this would happen.

"He said he didn't think it would be this bad. Honestly, I think I knew better," Kathy Schrader said. "It's embarrassing. Several neighbors called me and asked me about it."

Other neighbors disliked the flier as well.

"I don't think we need to have that sort of political rivalry in Manchester," Gerry Klevorn, Manchester resident, said. "It absolutely went too far."

Ryan tells patch that originally he did not want to engage in any negative campaigning. However, he said his flier was a response to attacks Schrader made. Schrader provided Patch with the fliers he sent to voters, and none mention Don Ryan. In fact, Ryan said he never actually saw the fliers that allegedly attacked him, nor could he provide copies to Patch for review.

"I don't know what he actually said," Ryan said. "He never sent me a flier, so I actually didn't see it. I never saw the flier, but people called me and told me about it."

Ryan said he also did not see the flier that he sent out attacking Schrader before it was mailed. Ryan said a friend, whose name he would not disclose, created the flier for him and assured him all of the information would be correct.

Despite Schrader's claims of inaccuracy, Ryan said he does not regret sending the campaign flier.

"I have seen it now, and it is absolutely accurate," Ryan said. "There wasn't one false statement made in what I sent out."

Schrader said he did not plan on retaliating with a negative flier against Ryan. Schrader, however, did have a message for Ryan.

"Concentrate on what you can and have done for the city and the people you represent," Schrader said. "Don't go out slinging mud. It doesn't get you anywhere."

Be sure to check Town and Country - Manchester Patch all next week for your complete election coverage, including up-to-the-minute election results Tuesday.

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