Diaz, Quinones-Sanchez rip Kenney over LUPE-gate

Democratic mayoral candidate Nelson Diaz continues to claim that Jim Kenney won the backing of local Latino leaders only by agreeing to "fund a joint campaign" with controversial City Council candidate Manny Morales.

If you're just tuning in -- which is possible, because, God, it's nice outside today -- Diaz flipped his wig yesterday when the Latinos United for Political Empowerment (LUPE) dropped its support of the former Common Pleas judge and instead endorsed Kenney.

Diaz said the sudden change of heart boiled down to his refusal to bow to pressure from LUPE officials, who wanted him to kick money to Morales, whose campaign blew up like something out of a Michael Bay flick after bigoted posts were found on his Facebook page.

Kenney's spokeswoman, Lauren Hitt, said the former city councilman was not supporting Morales and hadn't given any money to LUPE. Hitt said Diaz was simply embarrassed about losing the support of a Latino organization.

Today, Diaz's campaign emailed reporters a group photo showing Kenney at a 19th Ward fundraiser with a handful of officials, including Councilman Bill Greenlee, state Rep. Angel Cruz, former City Commissioner Marge Tartaglione and (wait for it, wait for it) Morales, whose head appears to be floating in the background.

"A picture is worth a thousand words; this one certainly calls into question the vehement and absurd assertions Jim Kenney made yesterday that Lupe -- and this endorsement -- has nothing to do with Manny Morales," Diaz's spokesman, Barry Caro, wrote in the email.

"What's 'offensive' is Jim Kenney denying any connection exists between himself and Morales just two days after posing for photographs together."

"Once again, our campaign has never given money to LUPE nor coordinated on any campaign for Morales, and a photo doesn't change that," Hitt said.

She added that Diaz initially supported Morales, calling Morales his "running mate," until his campaign became toxic.

City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, who watched the Democratic City Committee endorse and then awkwardly un-endorse Morales' bid to win her seat in the 7th District, also weighed in today.

Quinones-Sanchez said in a statement that she was "disappointed that Jim Kenney would seek and accept the endorsement of Latinos United for Political Empowerment."

The organization had lost its credibility by hand-picking Morales to run for Council, she said.

But Quinones-Sanchez said she takes Kenney "at his word that he is not endorsing Manny Morales, and will not donate to his campaign."

That's all for now. Go outside.