Correcting False Information

Statement by Rob:

My opponent has recently been distributing a lot of false information.  I believe it is designed to distract us from the important issues in this race, and mislead voters.

However, I have confidence that the voters of Lincoln County will see through those false and misleading statements.  Here are a few examples:

"No Criminal Prosecution Experience" 

In my opponent’s canvassing flyer, handed out door-to-door all across our county, my opponent declared that she is the “only candidate with criminal prosecution experience” and, in bold, that I have “no criminal prosecution experience.”  My opponent knows that is not true. Our retired District Attorney reminded my opponent and her supporters very early in this campaign about my service as a Special Prosecutor in the 1990’s prosecuting, among other things, criminal cases.  I also personally reminded them, very early in the campaign.*  But my opponent has persisted.  She personally distributed that false information all across Lincoln County in her canvassing flyer and, astonishingly, repeated that false information in her official state voter's pamphlet statement that was mailed to every Lincoln County voter.  Unfortunately, at this point, there is not much I can do about the dissemination of that false information, except to publicly discuss it whenever possible.

"Governor's Meth Task Force"

In my opponent’s voter's pamphlet statement, yet another false statement is included.  Under the heading Prior Governmental Experience, my opponent lists “Governor’s Meth Task Force.”  I was a member of the Governor’s Meth Task Force from its inception in January of 2004 to its conclusion in December of 2007.  I served as the Chair of it's Drug Endangered Children Subcommittee, and personally championed the Task Force’s legislation in Salem - which is, to this day, our nation’s strongest and most powerful anti-meth laws.  For this work I received the 2006 Governor’s Gold Award for outstanding public service, the highest award given in the State of Oregon.  My opponent’s first claim in her voter’s pamphlet statement is that she was a member of the Governor’s Meth Task Force.  She’s was not.  The Task Force last consisted of 11 members appointed by the Governor.  In December of 2007, my opponent was nominated by the DA association to fill a DA vacancy on the advisory committee to the Task Force.  However, the Task Force expired and ended on December 31, 2007.  The Governor therefore never had the opportunity to even appoint her to the advisory committee.  Yet my opponent claims to have been a member of the Task Force.  My opponent has never even attended a Governor’s Meth Task Force meeting, and missed the only meeting she could have attended.  And yet, that is the first claim in her voter’s pamphlet statement.  Astonishing.

Executive Director?

Under that same heading in her voter's pamphlet statement, my opponent also lists “Executive Director Oregon DA Association.”  Maybe she meant a Director or member of the Executive Committee.  But saying Executive Director of the Oregon DA’s Association is misleading, at best.

Prosecuted What Case?

Under the heading "Experienced Prosecutor" in her voter's pamphlet statement, she declares she is "the only candidate with prosecution experience” (a false statement, see above), then specifically lists the Longo case.  But my opponent didn’t prosecute the Longo case – our Chief Deputy District Attorney and an Assistant Attorney General prosecuted that case.

"Patrol Sergeant" Support

In my opponent’s campaign flyer, she quotes and refers to the support of a certain patrol sergeant.  Her web site even includes him and his title in the list of those under the heading "Lincoln County Community."  Yes, he is a patrol sergeant – in Deschutes County.

Crime Stats

My opponent has recently attacked me for discussing the fact that the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission and the Oregon State Police web sites and publications both show that Lincoln County has the highest reported crime rate for crimes against people (the last four years in a row) and for property crimes.  My opponent has argued that those reports are flawed.  She has also accused me of saying or implying that people in Lincoln County are not safe in their homes.  I have never made such a statement.  More important, her argument about the crime stats is not with me, it is with the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission and the Oregon State Police.  This is a classic example of trying to shoot the messenger.  If she has a dispute with the statistics, graphs, and official publications of the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, she should have pursued that dispute with the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission and the Oregon State Police long before now.  My opponent's response to this issue has been a series of changing excuses, blaming others, denial, and attacks directed at me.  Baffling.

 

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* NOTE TO THE PRESS:  I adamantly oppose public discussion of closed criminal cases in political races (in contrast to my opponent, who has consistently done so throughout this campaign).  I feel that it is improper and wrong to re-victimize victims and cast light on painful wounds that would otherwise not be reopened.  However, if a member of the press is not satisfied with the word of myself and the retired Lincoln County District Attorney on this matter, and demands documentary evidence of criminal cases that I personally prosecuted in the 1990's, please contact me, and I will provide you with case names and numbers that you can verify with the court, on the condition that case names and specifics will be used for verification purposes only, and not publicly exposed.

 

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