By Tom Barnes

HARRISBURG -- State Republican officials are trying to make political hay out of the withdrawal from the governor’s race of John Krupa, whom the GOP claimed was a "fake Tea Party candidate’’ supported by Democratic candidate Dan Onorato.

Mr. Krupa decided to withdraw Monday when questions were raised about thousands of signatures on his nominating petitions.

State Republican Chairman Rob Gleason issued a statement Tuesday saying, "Democracy prevailed when Dan Onorato’s fake Tea Party gubernatorial candidate, John Krupa, withdrew from the ballot.’’

Mr. Gleason charged that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate tried to "deceive’’ voters by "pushing a fake Tea Party candidate in an attempt to steal votes from (GOP candidate) Tom Corbett this fall.’’

Some Tea Party officials had called Mr. Krupa an imposter Tea Party member. Mr. Gleason said the episode was "the latest example of just how desperate (the Onorato) campaign is. It was an egregious abuse of our electoral process.’’

He said Democrats "need to come clean with their involvement with John Krupa’s puppet candidacy.’’