Responding to a Senate Republican Campaign Committee ad, Democratic Senate candidate David Nachbar has brought in his former boss and retired Bausch and Lomb CEO Rob Zarella to defend Nachbar’s sale of company stock in 2005.

Republicans have attacked Nachbar in a new ad and mailing over his sale of $1.5 million in Bausch and Lomb stock while he was an executive there, cashing out before the stock plummeted. Nachbar is also named in a lawsuit filed by former company employees.

Nachbar is facing Republican Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, Monroe County.

Nachbar’s campaign labeled the ads “misleading personal attacks,” and Zarella said Republicans are wrong.

“This type of attack shows how little Alesi knows about business. First, unfortunately, companies doing business in New York must deal with frivolous lawsuits all the time. This was a lawsuit that Bausch & Lomb had committed to fight. Second, Nachbar’s stock sales were completely legal, reported and unquestioned by the SEC,” Zarella said in a statement.

“It defies reason why a state Senator would attack one of the region’s most respected companies and its employees.”

Another former co-worker Dwain Hahs said:  “I worked for Bausch & Lomb for 28 years. I got to know Dave Nachbar well over the years and trust him completely.”

And marketing executive Bob Moore, former president of US Vision Care, added: “This ad unfairly attacks every person who runs a business or who has ever worked for a business. Alesi is supposed to be helping local businesses, not attacking them. He doesn’t get it.”

Nachbar said: “Alesi is upset about my demand to see results from his 12 years in office, and his 10 years as chair of the Economic Development Committee.  With no record of results, Jim Alesi resorts to personal attacks.  This is an example of how Albany works, and why I am running for office.  We need to talk seriously about the issues that matter: creating jobs, cutting spending and taxes, and reforming Albany.”

“It’s unfortunate,” he added, “that in their attempt to smear me, they also attacked a local employer that is one our best corporate citizens, one that has actually added hundreds of jobs to the Rochester economy.  That’s not very smart.”

But Republicans didn’t back down from their charges.

“Nachbar’s press release is a feeble attempt to distract the press from his insider trading issues that were outlined in the federal lawsuit which was brought by B&L employees,” said Senate Republican spokesman Joe Conway.

“Nachbar callously refers to the lawsuit as ‘frivolous.’  The suit was filed on behalf of hardworking and dedicated B&L employees; it is highly unlikely they think that their lawsuit against him is frivolous. The suit clearly states that Nachbar made a fortune in one day as an inside trader and that the employees’ retirement plan lost hundreds of millions.

“Treating their pain as frivolous displays the coldhearted nature of someone who cares nothing about the years of blood, sweat, and tears that went into their labor for one of Rochester’s benchmark employers.

“Moreover, if the lawsuit against Nachbar were truly frivolous, why is it still in the Federal Court more than two years after filing? By stating that the television ad is an attack on Bausch and Lomb, Nachbar continues to display his willingness to lie to achieve his own goals.  In fact, the ad does NOT attack the company.”