An Open Letter for Chairman Greg Garcia to Republicans of El Paso County:
An unfortunate incident has just occurred that calls for your immediate attention as soon as you return to town from vacation. I want to set the record straight with good people in the Republican Party without waiting for your return, however.
It’s wonderful that you have recently stated, both to the Gazette in an interview dated August 16, and in an open letter to the citizens of five area counties dated August 8, that “Our party will no longer tolerate false or misleading statements or innuendos.” Your timing is perfect.
In a letter to the editor published in the August 24, 2007 Woodmen Edition, Ann Bartha, an Bonus Member, and her husband Jonathan stated that I had accepted a campaign contribution from the PAC for a company that manufactures gambling equipment (International Game Technology).
This is completely false.
My Federal Election Commission filing for that quarter showing all PAC contributions is attached for your review. In addition, in a few moments you or anyone else on their own can access FEC filings with a few easy clicks, including individual contributions, other time periods, etc.
A simple review of my FEC filing shows that I have NEVER accepted a contribution from this company, or any similar company. In fact, my opposition to gambling is well known throughout my legislative career. I was the one who sued the State of Colorado when Powerball was first introduced in an attempt to stop it. To try to say otherwise about my record is a misrepresentation, especially by using a falsehood that says I accepted a contribution I never did. (In the same letter, the Barthas say I received a contribution in 2006 from a Cripple Creek casino employee without revealing that I later returned it, which is also misleading.)
You go on to say, Greg, in both your newspaper interview and your press release, that you will set up an investigative process to get to the bottom of allegedly false statements, in addition to possible punishment. This applies, you say, to candidates, their campaigns, and their supporters. This undoubtedly refers to Ann Bartha because she was a paid political operative of Mr. Jeff Crank in the last election, and presumably is still his supporter.
Greg, I stand by to assist you however I can as you set up an appropriate investigative process, and contemplate an appropriate punishment. Also, because you require in the newspaper interview “that candidates disavow any statements that are made by their campaigns or supporters and are found to be untrue,” we should all call upon Mr. Crank to denounce the false statements of the Barthas.
I don’t see how there could be a more clear case of making a “false or misleading statements” — when someone says an elected official accepted a campaign contribution which he actually did not. This is especially so when it is done with an apparent intent to impugn the elected official’s judgment and integrity.
It’s good to try to be reconciled with people wherever possible. That’s why I attempted to contact the Barthas before making this statement to my friends in the local Republican Party. However, I got no response. This kind of personal reaching out can be quite helpful — had the Barthas bothered to ask us before publishing their accusations they would have learned that we were indeed sent a check by this company, but that due to our objections to gambling we sent it right back and did not even deposit it.
In conclusion, Greg, I’m glad that you intend to hold candidates, their campaigns, and their supporters to “a high standard of integrity.” I’m confident that you would agree with me that falsely stating someone has accepted a contribution they really did not fails the “high standard of integrity” test.
Thanks for your attention to this serious matter. I’m so glad you want to keep local elections clean and positive. You have just been given a golden opportunity to show us exactly how you intend to do that.
Yours truly,
Doug Lamborn
