The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. filed a lawsuit against state Sen. Allen Kukovich in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court yesterday, accusing the two-term Manor Democrat of distorting reports from the company's newspaper in his campaign literature.

According to the complaint, five fliers prepared by Kukovich's re-election campaign in his heated race against Republican Bob Regola in the 39th District name the Tribune-Review as a primary source of information.

The company requested an injunction barring Kukovich from making further use of the paper's name.

"Kukovich has engaged in a pattern of false and misleading advertising," implying that the Tribune-Review "has published statements denigrating his opponent," the complaint said.

The Tribune-Review's editorial page endorsed Regola, a Hempfield supervisor, on Oct. 26.

One flier highlighted in the complaint said Regola told the Tribune-Review that "caring for widows and seniors is too expensive," citing the Aug. 25 and Aug. 31 editions of the paper.

Another flier used the same editions to accuse Regola of running the Hempfield pension fund "into the ground."

Before filing the suit, the newspaper's editor, Tom Stewart, sent a letter on Tuesday to Kukovich, asking him to stop distributing the fliers.

Kukovich's campaign shot back with a response yesterday.

"The facts cited in our campaign materials are undisputed," Kukovich said. "The Tribune-Review has blatantly campaigned for its handpicked candidate, is abusing the courts for political purposes and is misleading the public."