SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Intrigue is deepening in the race for mayor of Saratoga Springs.

Calling it dirty politics, candidate Jeff Francom said last week that he lost his job after a letter and his own campaign literature were sent to his employer, the national financial advisory company Edward Jones.

Edward Jones had declined last week to confirm or deny receiving any letter or campaign literature. But on Tuesday -- following a call from Francom's opponent, Councilman Mia Love -- the company came out with a statement saying the letter never existed.

Francom says the company is lying.

After Francom said last week that he had heard third-hand that a supporter of Love knew details of the letter before Francom had spoken about the issue publicly, Love contacted Edward Jones on her own.

"I would kindly request a letter or e-mail which confirms that myself, Mia Love, my husband, Jason Love, or assistant, Becky Pirente, had no correspondence through letter or phone" with Edward Jones, wrote Love in an e-mail to the company. "We would like to be exonerated from any association with actions leading up to Jeff Francom's termination of employment. Mr. Francom has made this public and I believe that turning this away from our city and our campaign will lay this issue to rest."

After Love's request, Edward Jones spokeswoman Regina DeLuca-Imral released a statement to the Daily Herald.

"We received no information about Mr. Francom's candidacy from outside the firm," DeLuca-Imral said in a statement. "There were reasons beyond his mayoral candidacy that led to his departure from the firm."

Both candidates had very different reactions to the company's statement.

"I want the negative press to be steered away from our city and my campaign," said Love in e-mails to the Daily Herald. "My campaign was implicated in the article by the Daily Herald, stating that we had something to do with this alleged letter. Bottom line is, Francom claims that he lost his job because of an outside source writing a letter to his employer. That did not happen. This is between Francom and his former employer. I don't want anyone in our city blamed for this when we have facts that this did not happen."

Francom essentially said his former employer is lying.

"It is not surprising that company representatives, who ask you to misrepresent facts, have themselves come out with statements not containing the truth," Francom told the Herald. Francom had said last week that the company asked him to falsely claim he was being given more responsibilities and therefore had to drop out of the race, something Francom declined to do.

He also faulted Love for contacting Edward Jones for exoneration.

"It is unfortunate that Ms. Love has chosen to continue on a topic that has been closed," Francom said. "In spite of calling me on Sept. 24 promising to end the negative campaigning, she has continued. Ms. Love is an intelligent woman with many capabilities. I believe she should speak as to those abilities as opposed to acting in a way that distracts from them. To proceed in this manner is contrary to what the citizens of our city deserve and expect from their elected officials. I have never accused Ms. Love of writing or communicating with my former employer.

"The facts that have been substantiated are these: I voluntarily terminated my position with my former employer as opposed to releasing a press release that contained false reasons as to why I would step down from the campaign. Ms. Love has asked my former employer to exonerate her from something I have never accused her of. My hope is that she will choose to now focus on the issues of our great city. Although this has affected our family greatly, we remain positive. I am focused on my current employment prospects and working hard for our city. I am still a candidate for mayor and I will remain a candidate. I have run a positive campaign and I will continue to do so."

Related

• Saratoga mayor candidate: ‘Campaign cost me my job’