CANDIDATE BEHIND ANTI-BUSH AD SOUGHT BY POLICE

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A presidential candidate who is running a television
commercial saying Texas Gov. George W. Bush once had a cocaine problem is
wanted for contempt of court.

On Sept. 29, a Florida court threw out an appeal by Anthony R. "Andy"
Martin, of West Palm Beach, and ordered him to serve five months and 29 days
in the Palm Beach Detention Center for insulting a judge.

Reached by telephone in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, Martin said the matter
is on appeal.

But Teri Barbera of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office said there is a
warrant for his arrest.

"If we were to find him, we'd pick him up," Barbera said.

Martin is running ads on ABC's New Hampshire affiliate, WMUR-TV in
Manchester, saying Bush had a cocaine problem. There is no evidence the
allegation is true.

Under federal law, the station is required to run the commercial because
Martin is an official candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

According to court documents and a Fort Lauderdale Sun- Sentinel newspaper
article provided by the Bush campaign, Martin was convicted of contempt in
1996 when WPTV in Florida asked for a restraining order against him.

The station said he had assaulted two cameramen. At a hearing, Martin
accused the judge of being bought off by WPTV's lawyers.

The judge responded by holding Martin in contempt and sentencing him to 30
days in jail. Martin appealed and was again sentenced, but during the appeal
was again held in contempt, according to court records.

Martin has filed hundreds of lawsuits -- "all but a small fraction of which
lack any merit whatsoever" and are filed "to harass persons who have
unluckily crossed his path," U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ralph
Winter wrote in 1984.