Lamb: Hanna Did Pressure TV Station

10/5/2012 (Updated 7:02:42 PM)

Democratic congressional candidate Dan Lamb continued to press Congressman Richard Hanna on charges he threatened to pull his advertising dollars from a Utica television station if it televised a debate Hanna wasn't taking part in.

Lamb references an email sent by WUTR General Manager Stephen Merren in which Merren says Hanna indicated the station would not be considered for his ad dollars if it televised the debate.

The station did pull out but Merren told Fox 40 it was because it would be unfair to Hanna to televise a debate that only featured Lamb, and that ad dollars had nothing to do with the decision.

Hanna's office has also denied threatening to withhold ad dollars. Friday Lamb said both of those points are spin control.

"What we know is the debate got canceled. What we know is Richard Hanna threatened the station. Those are the facts of the case. The rest is cover-up. And I think the public is smart enough to know the difference," said Lamb.

Merren told Fox 40 Hanna's reference to his ad budget during their conversation was, "in passing."