Sukup questions Gross’ involvement with livestock industry

Charges and counter-charges from two of the republican candidates for governor.Steve Sukup says competitor Doug Gross has been too cozy with large-scale livestock operators. Sukup’s campaign is handing out minutes from a Hardin County Board of Supervisors meeting which list Gross as a legal representative of “Jack” DeCoster who has been cited as an habitual violator of state environmental regulations. Gross says the minutes are wrong, and he was at the meeting representing a local feed store owned by another livestock operator. Sukup says, though, that Gross has done legal work for other large-scale livestock operators, and it raises the question of just who Gross would side with if he were to become Governor. He says the issue of corporate hogs lots is still an issue Iowa’s dealing with, and he says Iowans want a governor who can balance the issue.Eric Woolson, a spokesman for the Gross campaign, defends his boss.Woolson says Gross has represented all sizes of livestock producers as well as folks opposed to the placement of hog units. Woolson says by doing legal work for people on all sides of the issue, Gross has a perspective other candidates don’t have. Sukup’s bought radio ad time on the subject, and Gross is calling on him to pull the ads.