RepublicanGazette
After he announced his campaign for Congress last week, state Senator John Unger appeared on Hoppy Kercheval's statewide radio show and painted himself as a candidate interested in having a debate about the issues of the day, and avoiding the mean-spirited, mud-slinging attacks often associated with high-stakes politics.Unger added that he has always run positive, issue-oriented campaigns. And yet, in his campaign against Republican Jerry Mays last year, Unger sent a vicious attack piece across his district suggesting that Mays would introduce legislation supporting same-sex civil unions. That dichotomy is not a one-time aberration, according to those who know John Unger. The God-fearing, humble public servant, whose public remarks are nearly always sprinkled with references to his work years ago with Mother Teresa, is capable of heavy-handed bullying tactics that have alienated as many of his fellow Democratic legislators as Republicans.Taxpayer dollars at his disposal
Examples of Unger's "me-first" mentality are endless. When Gov. Joe Manchin scheduled a photo session with House of Delegates candidates who were marked for defeat by Don Blankenship, Unger -- the only Senate candidate to show up -- literally pushed his way to the front of the line, irritating his House of Delegates counterparts, given the event was for them, not him. Unger claimed throughout the campaign that Blankenship was targeting him, too, even though the Massey Energy CEO spent no resources against Unger other than a couple of personal contributions to Jerry Mays' campaign.Unger is also a source of aggravation among his colleagues for treating the Capitol as his personal campaign headquarters. He keeps radio equipment in his Senate office so he can perform his co-host duties on WEPM's "Panhandle Live" program in Martinsburg without leaving the comfortable confines of Charleston. He has been known to tie up the Capitol building's copy machines to run off thousands of letters to constituents, letters he stuffs inside the covers of the countless Blue Books he mails, at taxpayer expense, while legislative aides stand and wait to make copies of legislation to distribute to lawmakers for official business.Unger's use of Blue Books -- the annual legislature-produced bible of government and politics in West Virginia -- to ingratiate himself with voters, was legendary long before his opponent last year made it an issue by filing complaints with the Ethics Commission and the Secretary of State. No one knows how many Blue Books Unger has mailed to constituents over the years, and his own version of how often and to whom he sends them has varied. He initially said he only sent them to constituents who requested them. But after several residents came forward to say they had never requested the items but received them anyway -- including Andrea Blair, wife of Republican Delegate Craig Blair -- Unger said he considered giving away Blue Books a constituent service.In fact, Unger was apparently targeting poll workers with his mailing of Blue Books last year (Andrea Blair's only civic involvement was as a one-time poll worker the previous spring), and Secretary of State Betty Ireland responded to Jerry Mays' complaint by writing, "...please know as Secretary of State I do not condone the practice or even the appearance of specifically targeting or influencing poll workers and I personally have communicated such to Senator Unger." Unger has never released the letter Ireland sent to him in regard to the Blue Book issue.Unger has consistently turned in requests for reimbursement of expenses that seemed exorbitant. He consistently claims more mileage for commuting from his Eastern Panhandle home to Charleston than Sen. John Yoder, even though Yoder actually lives further from Charleston than Unger. So far this year, Unger has yet to turn in his expense report, although every other legislator has already done so. Unger's penchant for using tax-supported facilities for purposes that are arguably campaign related was also exhibited just last month when he sent an aide to ask the Jefferson County Commission for occasional use of county facilities to "meet with constituents." Commissioners told him they would make county office space available, but not just for Unger -- they said instead that any state or federal officeholder who wanted to use it could do so. Last year, Unger reportedly asked Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin to sign off on the naming of a bridge in Unger's honor. Tomblin reportedly laughed, and to date there are no bridges or culverts bearing Unger's name.Residence, employment questions persist
As a state Senator, Unger has managed to avoid in-depth questions or scrutiny of many aspects of his life and career. But as a candidate for Congress, those issues will be examined more closely. One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Unger is what he does for a living. Aside from his part-time radio work (it will be interesting to see how long he is permitted to continue as co-host of "Panhandle Live" now that he is running for Congress, or whether WEPM will follow the lead of West Virginia Media, which removed Erik Wells from the TV airwaves when he ran for Congress in 2004), Unger's own description of his employment has evolved in recent months. Some of his colleagues recall Unger previously claiming he worked for the Department of Homeland Security. Later, he said he was a consultant with the United States Department of Energy with some sort of "Homeland Security" component. When pictures surfaced on this website of Blue Books stacked on Unger's Senate office desk, he claimed a possible breach of Homeland Security because of "sensitive documents" contained within his office.But lately, the Homeland Security angle has been downplayed, with Unger telling The (Martinsburg) Journal last week he is an "advisor" to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. Just what he advises such a federal agency about is still unclear, as is how much money he makes for doing it, but his colleagues note that he drives a new Jeep Grand Cherokee (which retails for about $30,000), leases apartments in both Charleston and Martinsburg, and seems to do very well financially. Some colleagues note that the only personal property taxes Unger pays are on his vehicle, since he apparently owns no homes or land. "How can he relate to the average West Virginian in a state with the highest home ownership in the country?" asks one fellow legislator.Unger, who is 38 and has never been married, was annoyed during last year's campaign with suggestions that he lived with his mother. In fact, according to local residents, he has rented an apartment in Martinsburg for several years, although he may have recently begun renting at a different location. But most of his fellow Eastern Panhandle lawmakers believe Unger lives in Charleston the majority of the time.'Thin-skinned, hard-headed and preachy'
Unger likes to paint himself as a man not driven to be a politician, but merely answering the call of the voters or an even higher calling. But his reaction to those opposing him in his latest reelection bid seemed to indicate otherwise.According to Eastern Panhandle lawmakers, Unger resorted to bullying tactics last year, trying to intimidate fellow legislators into staying out of opponent Jerry Mays' campaign. One GOP lawmaker said Unger told him he has "powerful friends" who would work against the Republican in 2008. Another legislator said Unger told him, "I didn't get involved in your race two years ago. You should stay out of mine."Unger also took offense with anyone else showing support for his opponent. A Martinsburg business owner said that she had placed a Jerry Mays campaign sign in her window. Later, Unger entered the premises, and without asking, placed one of his signs above the Mays sign. The distraught business owner called Mays and told him what had happened. Mays advised her that for the sake of her business, it might be best for her to remove both signs. Instead, she only removed the Unger sign. Unger returned later, and after seeing his sign had been removed, he began badmouthing the business to another customer in the store, according to the owner.Unger's inability to take criticism or to tolerate opposition was noted in a recent column by The Journal's editor, Maria Lorensen, who said of Unger, "He’s thin-skinned. He continues to bristle at months-old, even years-old, editorials and columns questioning his decisions on backing the Farmland Preservation board’s purchase of Boydville and heading off to Iraq during interims. West Virginia MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval said in a commentary this week that while Unger is earnest and hard-working, he’s also hard-headed and preachy. I’d agree." (Ironically, during last year's state Senate campaign, The Journal generally contented itself with Unger's own spin on the Blue Book issue, and recently, a Journal reporter quit her job to go to work for Unger.)In fact, Unger's reputation among his colleagues is that of a mostly languid Senator in regard to his official duties, but who does work hard to advance his personal standing back home through tireless public relations efforts. His lack of real accomplishment in the Senate is well known, and his appointment as chairman of the Transportation Committee -- which primarily exists to name bridges and culverts -- is a sign he is not taken seriously by Democratic leadership.As The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler wrote in a column recently, after Unger had complained about a lack of attention from the newspaper, "I told him that if he ever got to be a committee chairman, I'd probably have no choice but to have to quote him. He reminded me of that immediately after his appointment as Senate Transportation Committee chairman, to which I replied, 'Senator, I meant a real committee.'" Fighting by any means to hold his office
Still, in West Virginia, using taxpayer dollars to build goodwill with voters is often a winning tactic. Unger won election and then reelection twice. In 1998, he defeated incumbent Republican Harry Dugan by 2,598 votes out of more than 23,000 cast. By 2002, he was serious about keeping the job. After the filing deadline passed with no Republican filed to oppose him, the 16th Senate Republican Committee appointed Ted Bostic of Martinsburg as Unger's opponent, as provided by state law. Since the law required a Republican to challenge the actions of a Republican committee, Unger and his fellow Democrats found a friendly Republican to file a suit blocking Bostic's appointment. A judge ruled in Unger's favor, basing his opinion on the legal loophole that the committee had conducted its business by telephone rather than by meeting in person. Bostic was tossed off the ballot and Unger ran without opposition in the 2002 campaign, depriving voters of a choice. But he had raised $15,000 for his reelection bid, just in case.Faced with opposition in 2006 that he couldn't find a way to avoid even with the help of the courts, Unger began fundraising in earnest. Hitting up labor unions and employees of road construction companies like West Virginia Paving who do business with the state (and who were well aware of Unger's chairmanship of the Transportation Committee), Unger amassed nearly $120,000 for his reelection against Jerry Mays (a client of Abernathy Strategies), who managed to raise about $38,000 from the few donors not fearful of reprisal from the incumbent Senator with the vengeful streak. With all those advantages, Unger still felt the need to tar his opponent with the "gay civil union" mailer mentioned previously, twisting a response Jerry Mays had given to a question about legal contracts between two people. With his huge fundraising advantage coupled with thousands of taxpayer dollars in Blue Book mailings to voters -- each containing a letter, photo and flattering newspaper article about his reelection campaign -- and with the Democrat tidal wave that engulfed West Virginia and the nation, Unger coasted to reelection. Since then, Unger has already added another $15,000 in his Senate campaign coffers.Unger's version of his life a sanitized profile
Little independent reporting has been done about John Unger's early life, or his education and foreign travels. Most of what exists comes only from Unger himself, and naturally it paints a rosy picture. One of the most flattering portraits, which Unger often points to himself, appeared in 2006 in West Virginia Executive magazine, one of those local business periodicals found in many cities whose editorial content is largely centered on those who spend money to advertise within the publication. In a profile which could have been written by Unger himself (and very possibly was), Unger is named one of West Virginia's "Young Guns," and recounts his many accomplishments and travels.According to the article, "Unger left his home in Berkley(sp) County, as the first member of his family to attend college. While still a freshman at WVU, he began volunteering at a homeless shelter and soup kitchen."Unger then ended up in Hong Kong working at a "refugee camp," and, according to the story, "Little did he know that the nuns were so impressed with him, that after he returned to West Virginia for his sophomore year, they wrote Mother Teresa about him. She in turn invited him to join her for a year in Calcutta."Thus came about John Unger's most oft-told tale about himself. "In Calcutta, the work was long and back breaking, but Unger found it very rewarding until about six months in. It was then that a monsoon swept through the City of Joy, where he was working. Mother Teresa put him in charge of a six block radius coordinating relief efforts. But try as he might, he was overwhelmed. Finally he went to his mentor with a confession. 'Mother, I don’t think I’m making a difference. Maybe you need to find someone else.' Mother Teresa smiled at him and said 'God does not call us to do great things, but small things with great love.' He has tried to live by those words ever since."The article adds, "Upon returning home with a degree, people in the community began urging Unger to run for office. He would politely decline, but they persisted, even writing letters to the editor. Then one day his grandfather added to the encouragement by giving him his first campaign contribution. The rest is history."The contrast between the John Unger portrayed in that article, and the Senator and candidate threatening businesses and fellow legislators who oppose him, is a striking one. And while there have always been those who have questioned whether his relationship with Mother Teresa was as close as Unger insinuates, there is little means of independently verifying or contradicting Unger's version of events.His official biography says, "In December 1992, John Unger was named WVU’s twenty-fourth Rhodes Scholar. This distinguished award ... grants the recipients a two-year study program at Oxford University. He graduated from WVU with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Liberal Arts in 1993 and received his Masters of Arts in Economics and Economic Development from Oxford University."A loner who is seen as an opportunist and media hound
According to associates, Unger is a loner who has few close friends in the Legislature. His focus on his own needs and his habit of shoving his way to the front of photo ops and press conferences has left many colleagues cold.Former Senator Russ Weeks, a Raleigh County Republican, once thought he had an ally in Unger in regard to a not infrequent habit of Senate leaders adding spending items to budget bills even after the bills had already been passed. Unger had discovered an instance of more than $8 million added to a spending bill, and asked Weeks and others for their support in objecting to the new spending. Weeks agreed, and when the bill was read, Unger objected, causing Senate President Tomblin and his leadership team to take a recess to discuss the issue.But when they returned with a ruling against Unger, Unger suddenly caved in and cast his vote in favor of the bill, to the surprise and consternation of Weeks and others who thought Unger would stand firm. Says Weeks, "When the rubber met the road, Senator Unger was just another great team player for President Tomblin and the Democrat machine."By occasionally challenging his own party with the help of the GOP, then betraying Republicans in the next breath, Unger has managed to alienate lawmakers on both sides. Unger especially irritated his Eastern Panhandle colleagues in recent years in regard to the issue of locality pay for teachers and other government employees. In a scathing email circulated among his fellow panhandle legislators last year, Unger's antics were described as follows:When the Eastern Panhandle legislative delegation was making significant progress toward obtaining locality pay for teachers and state employees in areas of WV like the Eastern Panhandle that have much higher housing costs, Sen. John Unger jumped the gun in a publicity stunt, in order to try to take all the credit himself. Thus, without working with the 11 other members of the local legislative delegation (3 other senators and 8 members of the House of Delegates), and making sure everything was in place for legislation for locality, Unger went to the news media and announced it as if it had already been accomplished, and acting as if he was the one who had been working of it or who had brought it about.(In fact, many of our local delegation, from both parties, and including Senate Finance Chair Walt Helmick, met with Berkeley County central office staff and board members to craft strategy and discuss draft proposals regarding how we could find state revenue to make locality pay a reality. One particular draft plan would have provided a $2100 pay raise for every teacher in Jefferson county and a $1600 to $1800 pay raise for every teacher in Berkeley County. Sen. Helmick (D) even remarked that "this plan is do-able". If memory serves me right, Sen. Unger was invited to this meeting, but was unable to attend--out of town.) By acting prematurely and as a lone wolf, Unger actually gave warning to the opponents of locality pay, including the WVEA, thereby creating a significant backlash against locality pay. By acting independently of the rest of the bipartisan Eastern Panhandle delegation, Sen. Unger is more responsible than anyone else for having defeated locality pay last year.Now, having alienated the legislature and marshalling the forces opposed to locality pay, Sen. Unger, along with Delegate Bob Tabb, is now engaging in a publicity stunt that will only further alienate and irritate the legislature by
forming an Eastern Panhandle group to sue the State in order to get locality pay. Interesting that he proposes doing this right before re-election, but it is all show that will only hurt the cause further.
Unger also has a reputation for being a master of the trick of signing on as a co-sponsor to nearly every piece of legislation he knows will pass so he can boast later about the high number of bills he has sponsored that have become law. But most of them are minor supplemental appropriation bills.Unger also aggravated his fellow Democrats with his lawsuit a few years ago challenging the state's redistricting plan. Democrats were miffed because they say Unger did not participate actively in their redistricting efforts, but saw an opportunity for publicity by filing a lawsuit over it, even grandstanding to the point that he said at one public meeting, "The only way you can get justice in West Virginia is to go outside of West Virginia."Unger used the occasion also to blast Kanawha County and Charleston, using words he may regret now that he is seeking Kanawha County votes. According to The (Martinsburg) Journal story from January of 2002:On Saturday, Unger said there are four senators "in the kingdom of Kanawha." The rest of the districts in the state have two senators each."We need to break up the (Kanawha, 17th district) cartel in the Senate," he said. He said those who represent Charleston want to consolidate the power there."We have to break up the power within the Senate," he said. "We ought to be an equal partner at the table."Unger said he's tired of having those representing the Eastern Panhandle in Charleston "slapped down." He said the "powers that be" in Charleston are going to know that those in the Eastern Panhandle will "stand up for our rights.""I don't want them to necessarily like the Eastern Panhandle, but I want them to respect us," he said. In regard to Unger, colleagues paint a picture of an intelligent but isolated loner who seems to have few if any longtime friends. They say that as someone who always believes he is "the smartest guy in the room," Unger does not cultivate allies and instead engages in opportunism, often working to kill a bill only so he can bring it back at a later date as a lead sponsor of virtually the same legislation. When asked who is Unger's closest friend in the Legislature, no one has an answer.For Congress, his campaign is against Bush, not Capito
As Unger has made clear so far, he is attempting to develop a campaign for Congress based on his desire to "have a debate" about the issues of the day, including the war in Iraq. When asked how he can convince people to vote against the popular incumbent Shelley Moore Capito, Unger dodges the question by claiming he has never run "against" anyone; he runs "for" his ideas and beliefs.The tactic is designed to allow him to avoid attacking Capito directly, and hope that the media buys into his reasoning and asks itself, "Sure, why not have the debate?" in essence placing Unger on equal footing with Capito from Day One, i.e., "She has her positions, he has his, let's hear them both and give each side equal weight."In fact, Unger seems to be running more against President Bush than anyone else, although that approach could backfire given that Bush is not on the ballot in 2008, and Capito has voted independently of the president often enough to avoid being painted as a mere puppet of the administration, despite Democrat claims to the contrary.Unger's best skill over the years has been generating positive media attention, both in the local newspapers and radio. His position as a co-host of "Panhandle Live" has afforded him an invaluable opportunity to ingratiate himself with listeners, but as demonstrated by the comments of The Journal's Lorensen and The Gazette's Kabler, he is not shy about complaining loudly to reporters and editors when news coverage does not fall his way, or when it fails to adopt his spin.Unger carefully crafted his Thursday kickoff announcement as a press conference, not a rally, thereby lowering expectations if no one showed up. But the fact is, the time and place of Unger's press event was announced by the press at least 24 hours ahead of time, and still, aside from members of the media, and even with Mollohan and Rahall having been announced as planning to attend, only a handful of diehard Democratic Party workers showed up to witness the event. Unger has claimed he has been courted and recruited by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. But his own claims, and those of state party leaders, have typically been downplayed by DCCC spokesmen themselves. For example, Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey said the Capito race is one of the DCCC's "top six" in the nation. But a DCCC spokesman would not confirm that for The Associated Press. Democratic officials continue to mention longtime aide to Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Anne Barth, as another potential Capito challenger, and with Byrd's help, and operating from a stronger Kanawha County base, Barth would likely emerge as the Democratic nominee over Unger. The formula for an Unger win in the primary
If he is challenged, Unger's best chance for victory is to have at least a three-way primary, with more than one candidate from the Kanawha Valley. With Democratic votes divided in the southwestern counties, Unger could slip through on primary election day. Furthermore, Unger might actually receive the enthusiastic support of his fellow Democratic Senators -- not because of their kinship with him, but because they would all like to get him out of the Legislature.Unger's next logical step is to claim he has polling showing him with strong name identification, and that the majority of West Virginians in the 2nd Congressional District agree with his position on a variety of issues. He will stop short of discussing polling numbers on a head-to-head match up with Capito.Finally, Unger has little to lose by running and coming up short next November, since he is running "from cover," being in the middle of his Senate term. If he does end up being the Democratic nominee, it will guarantee Capito carrying Kanawha County by a healthy margin, and she will likely do no worse than divide the vote with Unger in the Eastern Panhandle. But a stronger than expected showing against Capito could help Unger maneuver for another go at it in 2010, or even a shot at the state's highest office in 2012. As those who know him say, Unger has no lack of ego and no shortage of confidence in regard to where he might end up someday.As he made clear in the West Virginia Executive profile, "I don‘t see myself in this job forever."June 4, 2007
On Thursday, Unger announced his candidacy for Congress, with Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Joe Rahall, and State Treasurer John Perdue on hand. Not present were Gov. Joe Manchin, Auditor Glen Gainer, Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglas, Attorney General Darrell McGraw, or Senators Jay Rockefeller or Robert C. Byrd.
He has been known to tie up the Capitol building's copy machines to run off thousands of letters to constituents which he stuffs inside the covers of the countless Blue Books he mails, at taxpayer expense, while legislative aides stand and wait to make copies of legislation to distribute to lawmakers for official business.
When this photo of Blue Books stacked in Unger's Senate office appeared last year in the Republican Gazette, Unger claimed a possible breach of "Homeland Security."
...his colleagues note that he drives a new Jeep Grand Cherokee (which retails for about $30,000), leases apartments in both Charleston and Martinsburg, and seems to do very well financially.
Who is John Unger?
He's politically smart, and notably well educated, with a resume filled with charitable work around the globe. But his choirboy public personna is contradicted by a mean streak and a 'me-first' attitude that makes few friends, and his personal life remains a mystery to most.
By Gary Abernathy
John Unger during his days at West Virginia University and abroad, but apparently prior to his labors under the hot Calcutta sun.
One GOP lawmaker said Unger told him he has "powerful friends" who would work against the Republican in 2008. Another legislator said Unger told him, "I didn't get involved in your race two years ago. You should stay out of mine."
At his kickoff announcement, Unger chose to stand with Congressman Alan Mollohan, right, who is under investigation for ethics violations.
Unger is a part-time co-host of a radio show in Martinsburg, which he often broadcasts from his Senate office in Charleston.
Unger has consistently turned in requests for reimbursement of expenses that seemed exorbitant. He consistently claims more mileage for commuting from his Eastern Panhandle home to Charleston than Sen. John Yoder, even though Yoder actually lives further from Charleston than Unger.
Unger, left, poses with former Martinsburg councilman Glenville Twigg and Gov. Joe Manchin outside WEPM studios. Manchin, though, did not attend Unger's kickoff announcement.
Bostic was tossed off the ballot and Unger ran without opposition in the 2002 campaign, depriving voters of a choice.
Unger early in his Senate career, having regained his healthy appearance after his "long and back breaking" work with Mother Teresa.
The contrast between the John Unger portrayed in that article, and the Senator and candidate threatening businesses and fellow legislators who oppose him, is a striking one.
SPECIAL
REPORT
By occasionally challenging his own party with the help of the GOP, then betraying Republicans in the next breath, Unger has managed to alienate lawmakers on both sides.
Unger will avoid attacking Capito directly while trying to get the media to buy into his argument to "have a debate" on the issues, thereby putting him on equal footing from the start.
...as demonstrated by the comments of The Journal's Lorensen and The Gazette's Kabler, he is not shy about complaining loudly to reporters and editors when news coverage does not fall his way, or when it fails to adopt his spin.
Unger is running "from cover" and could be trying to position himself for another run in 2010 or 2012.
If he is challenged, Unger's best chance for victory is to have at least a three-way primary, with more than one candidate from the Kanawha Valley. With Democratic votes divided in the southwestern counties, Unger could slip through on primary election day.
Unger told Hoppy Kercheval last week that he always runs "positive" campaigns, and never runs "against" anyone. But last year, he sent this mailer to voters, attacking his opponent on the issue of civil unions for gays.
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Unger used the occasion also to blast Kanawha County and Charleston, using words he may regret now that he is seeking Kanawha County votes.
