vienna austria co-governing social democrats spo conservative ovp lead poll ahead oct. 15 election say friday would sue escalate political smear scandal public outcry derogatory facebook page target ovp leader sebastian kurz run campaign consultants hire spo already lead departure campaign manager loss popularity recent poll limit reach sue ovp general secretary elisabeth koestinger tell news conference say party prepare libel suit employee spo campaign consultant tal silberstein spo fire august force retract comment ovp offer 100,000 euros 116,980 switch side also prepare sue spo relation incitement say add lawsuit could broaden spo chairman christoph matznetter say spo prepare lawsuit kurz spokesman seek clarify whether offer money silberstein employee say act could amount bribery industrial espionage spo chancellor christian kern govern tension-ridden grand coalition ovp say know nothing dirty campaign page ask facebook unmask people run behest spo vienna prosecutors investigate unnamed persons defamation page also include derogatory content aim kern ovp lead pre-election poll around 34 percent spo slip third place 22 percent far-right anti-immigrant freedom party 27 percent austria 's conservatives social democrats sue ahead vote