Gaffney Calls for McSweeny's Withdrawal

State Rep. Kent Gaffney has written the following letter to candidate David McSweeney.

Mr. McSweeney:

 I have been astonished with the tone your campaign has chosen to take in your bid for State Representative in the 52nd District.

From day one your campaign has been focused on threatening letters that harass citizens and organizations supporting your opponents.

That act in itself should be rebuked by the Republican voters in the 52nd District.

What surprised me further were the baseless claims you leveled against Danielle Rowe and me when challenging the petitions signatures that secure our names on the ballot.

In your attempt to clear the field in this Republican Primary, you have hired lawyers to manufacture accusations that I believe you knew to be false from the inception.

It is clear that you feel that spending tens of thousands of dollars on legal action to propel your personal ambitions is a proper use of your campaigns donations. I, however, do not.

Campaigns should be about ideas and positions on the issues, not lawyers and private investigators. It has always been my opinion that the electoral process should be filled with all who feel they can bring about positive discourse, letting the voters have a well-rounded choice on Election Day.

Additionally, you have broken the Eleventh Commandment as set by Ronald Reagan, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” In this instance your campaign has wantonly leveled allegations against both of your opponents that subsequently have been proven without merit and have been overruled by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

It is at this juncture that I ask you to publicly apologize to all of those who you drug through the mud to suit your political aspirations, and to the Republican Party as a whole. Your campaign has disgraced the electoral process and the Republican Party.

Therefore I call for your withdrawal from the race for State Representative in the 52nd District.

 Sincerely,

 Kent Gaffney

State Representative

52nd District