Brian Rudnick Responds to Claims That His Campaign Threatened Jim Foster

Brian Rudnick, an Independent Green candidate in the 8th District City Council Race has offered an apology after reports have surfaced that someone in his campaign threatened Jim Foster.

, an Independent candidate in the race, said Monday that he received a phone call from Peter Wirs, a Republican Ward Leader in Germantown. Foster said Wirs told him that he should withdraw his nomination petitions, or his reputation would be destroyed.

“He used some aggressive language, said he was carrying a message from Larry Otter, an attorney who was going to ruin my reputation. He told me I would be convicted of election fraud if I didn’t go down and pull my petitions,” Foster said.

Foster, publisher of Germantown Newspapers, added that Wirs told him he would probably have to fold his newspapers as well.

Larry Otter, Rudnick’s attorney, said that he does not know Foster, and simply had Wirs, whom he calls a “mutual acquaintance”, give Foster a call to let him know there would be a challenge to his nomination.

Rudnick, an Independent Green candidate, sent an email to Foster Monday morning, under the subject: “Apology.”

The email said:

 “I have enjoyed our email correspondence about the issues over the past months and how our personal histories interweave with them and I look forward to continuing our discussion.
 
Being represented by an attorney in a legal matter that involves you precludes me having direct contact with you about it.
 
However, I am making a very small  exception to express my regrets over any remarks my representatives may have made that you perceived as threatening. Perhaps they were.
 
What is important to me is how you perceived them and for that I apologize publicly.
 
Thank you for your attention and your commitment to our community.”

Both Rudnick and Foster shared the contents of the email with Patch.

Rudnick has against Foster’s nomination petitions, and Foster, in turn, has filed a . Cindy Bass, Democratic nominee for the 8th District council seat, has also filed a challenge against Foster.

When contacted by Patch, police said they don't have any record of any threat being reported to them.