Mark Fairchild stirred up a little controversy Tuesday.

Fairchild is a Lyndon La Rouche follower who won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 1986. Fairchild claimed La Rouche is the victim of a government conspiracy and a political prisoner in America when he spoke to about 10 people in the Holmes Student Center.

“They put Lyndon La Rouche in jail for ‘conspiring to not repay political loans.’ But that has nothing to do with it. What they really wanted was to shut this guy up.” Fairchild said.

Fairchild said the government and the media have conspired against the La Rouche organization for years. He cited his recent removal from the ballot in the race for governor as an example.

Ten thousand signatures endorsing a candidate is required to get someone on the ballot, he said. Fairchild said that Neil Hartigan’s office “called me a bunch of foul names” and had Fairchild removed from the ballot.

“Having your opponent thrown off the ballot is not a very democratic system of electioneering,” he said.

However, Student Association Sen. Brad Strauss said he worked for Neil Hartigan and conducted telephone surveys of people on the La Rouche signature list.

Strauss said the majority of the signatures were from people who had been misled as to what they were signing.

“Some people were told they were signing a tax-reduction petition, some thought it was a pro-life or pro-choice legislation ballot, some thought it was about elderly health rates. There were maybe two people we called who knew what this was really about,” Strauss said.

“You, my friend, are a liar.” Fairchild said in response to Strauss’ allegations.