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John Ahern’s campaign released this form Wednesday after Bob Apple denied endorsing Ahern. Both Ahern and his campaign manager, Josh Kerns, said they witnessed Apple signing it last year at the county fair.
The top of the form is quite clear: “I endorse John Ahern for State Representative in the 6th District, position 2. By signing below, I give permission to Citizens for Ahern to use my name in campaign materials for the 2010 election. Your contact information will not be shared with anyone outside the campaign. Thank you for your support!”
The campaign blocked other names and Apple’s contact information before releasing the document.
So far, Apple’s opponents in the race are Spokane Indians Baseball Club President Andy Billig and social worker Louise Chadez.
In an interview this morning, Billig said Apple’s endorsement is “surprising,” but that he had no further comment about the issue.
Billig, who has raised about $23,000 in contributions so far, also responded to Apple’s comments criticizing Billig’s fund-raising. Apple described the field of candidates as “a big-money guy and two regular people.”
Billig responded that his total shows his “viability” as a candidate. He noted that he has more than 200 contributors and called his campaign “grassroots.”
The top two candidates in the August primary will advance to November’s election.
Jim Camden is a veteran political reporter for The Spokesman-Review.
Jonathan Brunt covers Spokane City Hall for The Spokesman-Review.
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Pat O'Leary on January 29 at 3:06 p.m.
$11 each times 200 people. This hardly qualifies as “big money”.
Better find another issue Bob.
ZagChuck on January 30 at 5:52 a.m.
Rep. John Ahern is an honorable and respectable man, who has served his country and his community well for years. When I first heard of this “discrepancy,” I knew the mistake must’ve come from Bob Apple’s campaign. Now we see clearly, Bob Apple wasn’t truthful. But Billig isn’t being truthful either. His PDC reports indicate 181 entries from 174 individuals, and I wouldn’t exactly call them “grass roots. Last time I checked Spokane grassroots organizations weren’t located in New York City or Washington DC, yet there they are on his PDC report. Of the nearly $20,500 listed , roughly 40% ( $8200) is from 39 people from out of the state ( $210 per person avg). Of that $8200, $4250 comes from Chevy Chase MD.
Also, I’m sure Bob Apple must’ve noticed that there are some heavy hitting left wing power players on Billig’s PDC reports, including a $500 donation from Jaime Gorelick. (Yes the same Jaime Gorelick who served with Janet Reno in the Clinton Administration helping to construct the wall of silence between intelligence agencies, thus helping to ensure the FBI and CIA couldn’t talk to each other about potential future terrorist attacks. Gorelick also served as Vice Chair to Frank Raines as they steered Fannie Mae into hundreds of billions of dollars in debt, and was a key advisor to the Obama transitional team).
Bob Apple must have felt he had to say it. He must have thought he couldn’t afford to be tied to a solid conservative leader like Rep John Ahern, who has represented the people remarkably for years, leading by example and expressing the views of the true grass roots.
The people should stand up and demand a candidate that can be truthful with the constituents. We should demand a candidate with a reputation or record of demanding and working for accountability in government, and fiscal responsibilities. The people deserve better both of these puppets of the left.