Campaign nastiness hits new levels
By Kim Smith and Laura Dennis
With only two days remaining to early vote and just six until eventually election working day the nastiness of politics is on comprehensive display screen in Ector County.
In contrast to nationally, the political drama is not concerning Democrats and Republicans but in just the nearby GOP and candidates vying for places of work that will be resolved in Tuesday’s most important as there are no Democratic challengers.
The race of present Condition Rep. Brooks Landgraf and challenger Casey Gray has been testy from the start off but has reached a new stage of nastiness with Grey accusing Landgraf of owning a number of affairs “with adult men and girls.”
A Lubbock girl, Tiffany Wilson, final 7 days mentioned she did not have an affair with Landgraf but considering the fact that that time has altered her story continuously and the Odessa American are not able to independently verify nearly anything she has explained to the OA or social media retailers.
Landgraf has declined to publicly tackle the allegations of an affair with Wilson or anyone else. When Grey dared Landgraf to publicly deny the affairs throughout a modern discussion board, Landgraf explained the reality would appear out and he was not going to be baited by his opponent.
Requested last 7 days through electronic mail to provide proof of his promises, Gray simply questioned if Landgraf experienced publicly denied the claims yet.
Meanwhile, the Ector County GOP will fulfill Thursday night. Longtime Odessan Tommy Ervin on Wednesday was urging community Republicans to go to the assembly in aid of Landgraf.
Ervin mentioned that in his opinion Landgraf is the victim of a “major smear campaign” and he’d like people to display their support for him by waving campaign signs outdoors the closed-doorway conference.
Ector County GOP Chairwoman Tisha Crow stated precinct chairs had invited Landgraf to meet up with with them previous week in the hopes of getting some queries answered, but Landgraf did not present up. They’ve invited him to show up at Thursday night’s assembly, but he has not indicated one way or yet another if he will attend.
“They want to listen to from him. They really don’t know what to do and they won’t know what to do right up until he responses their issues,” Crow claimed.
Requested what queries they have for Landgraf, Crow claimed she never ever requested and they don’t have to very clear them with her.
They’ve talked over quite a few avenues they could get on listening to from Landgraf, Crow claimed. People alternatives involve carrying out nothing or asking him to resign, she reported.
Requested if they could decide to endorse Grey, Crow mentioned that has not been talked over for the reason that “up to this point this has been about Brooks.”
Some users of the Ector County GOP govt board have sought before unsuccessfully to unseat Landgraf.
Grey has also accused Landgraf of spreading misinformation about Gray’s armed forces service file and claims of “stolen valor.” Nevertheless, statements of stolen valor and Grey basically came up for the duration of Gray’s 2018 operate for the congressional seat held now by August Pfluger.
The OA has been contacted by more than a dozen individuals who have despatched hundreds of web pages of files that problem some aspects of Gray’s military services and no matter whether he has worked for the CIA, as he has stated. Those individuals have also recommended Grey has exaggerated the mother nature of a helicopter incident in Korea and the accidents he sustained.
Gray has stated he has gone by way of far more than two dozen reconstructive surgical procedures and experienced a traumatic brain damage. He has specified conflicting specifics about how much time he used in the medical center recovering from his accidents.
The OA has continuously questioned Grey to reply to the allegations, inviting him to deliver his resume, any documentation he has about the helicopter crash and Common Kind-50s, which is a sort made use of by the federal government to document personnel steps, such as hirings and terminations.
“I find it appalling that you keep on these unethical assaults to attempt to discredit my navy support. You are very substantially in the business of attacking army users and their service and these absurd thoughts that seem to arrive from web trolls and from Landgraf supporters are telling of your bias,” Grey stated through e-mail.
When questioned by way of e mail to make clear how significantly time he put in in the medical center, Grey replied, “I have experienced over two dozen reconstructive surgical procedures and was assigned to a warrior changeover battalion, which took more than five yrs. I am nevertheless acquiring surgical procedures to help me get decline of perform.”
On Tuesday, Gray provided a letter signed by a nurse circumstance manager assigned to the now defunct Group-Based mostly Warrior in Changeover Unit in McClellan, California that lists some of the accidents Gray has mentioned he sustained in the helicopter incident.
According to the November 2012 letter, Gray was hurt in a fight-linked helicopter crash “while deployed in aid of Operation Enduring Freedom” on March 25, 2011. To see the letter simply click in this article.
Procedure Enduring Flexibility was introduced following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist assaults and concentrated on taking away the Taliban from energy and crippling al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Makes an attempt to reach the nurse situation manager have not verified prosperous.
When questioned for the crash report by itself, Gray responded, “You look to be more intrigued in perpetuating slander that (sic) actually interested in the truth of the matter.”
Grey was once quoted as expressing that as a result of the mind injuries he sustained in the crash, he has “no feelings or empathy” which helps make him “very direct.”
Grey was asked if he imagined that would impede his ability to get together with other lawmakers or how he could compensate for some thing others could see as a liability.
“Unfortunately, because of to the health care affliction stemming from my injuries in provider, I can arrive across not as I intend at periods, and it is still something I must perform on to increase. I am significantly from the polished politician, and can arrive across as extremely immediate, and non-politically correct. My hope is that if elected, I will get to know all my constituents personally, and that they will know the actual me,” Gray wrote, in section.
As for thoughts about the CIA, Grey stated he signed a non-disclosure settlement with the agency. He also said he didn’t use a Common Type 50.
“While I did perform for the company directly, some of the time I also worked for them by way of my work in the Navy. If you need to have even further guidance make sure you refer your questions directly to the CIA at CIA.gov, it appears you don’t like likely the formal route and would fairly make phony accusations and skirt the fact by inquiring queries frequently right until you get a reaction you want.”
Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis, who endorsed Landgraf and said he proceeds to guidance him, bemoaned the tone of the present-day marketing campaign. “I’m saddened by how nasty this has gotten.”
Odessan Ronnie Lewis explained some in the regional GOP are identified to maintain Landgraf from symbolizing the district “on accusations of an further-marital affair but willfully overlook their applicant (Grey) has restraining orders against him and pending rates of bail leaping.”
Gray is accused of violating a restraining purchase two times and leaping bail on the two situations that were being submitted as a final result of those people alleged violations in Wisconsin. On line information also indicate Gray is associated in a boy or girl custody dispute in that same county. He has a court day in April on the bail leaping rates.
Lewis stated he is out of town if not he would be at the Thursday assembly to assist Landgraf. “It’s time for the dirty campaigning out of the ECRP to halt.”
