NY Times reports on McCain link with lobbyist

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The New York Times said on Wednesday that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain had a close relationship with a lobbyist nine years ago in a potential conflict with his high ethical stances, but McCain's campaign sharply dismissed the report.

The McCain campaign said the paper had engaged in a "hit and run smear campaign" in a lengthy report published on its Web site. McCain, an Arizona senator who has long promoted high ethical standards among lawmakers, is all but certain to be the Republican candidate in the November 4 presidential election.

"He has never violated the public trust, never done favours for special interests or lobbyists, and he will not allow a smear campaign to distract from the issues at stake in this election," the campaign said in a statement issued by its communications director, Jill Hazelbaker.

"Americans are sick and tired of this kind of gutter politics, and there is nothing in this story to suggest that John McCain has ever violated the principles that have guided his career."

McCain will address the Times story at a news conference in Toledo, Ohio, at 9 a.m. EST (2 p.m. British time) on Thursday, his campaign said.

In its report, the Times cited instances where it said McCain had appeared to undermine his own demands for high ethical behaviour from members of Congress.

The paper focused on what it said was a close relationship with a telecommunications lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, saying that early in McCain's failed bid for the 2000 presidential election, members of his campaign had grown concerned the relationship might harm the campaign.

"Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself -- instructing staff members to block the woman's access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity," the Times said.

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