LaMalfa
Aanestad
I received a press alert this morning (from a source outside of Aanestad’s campaign), called the spokesman and confirmed that — sure enough — it related to the Sam4Congress.com “negative”
website I wrote about last week. After we spoke, Aanestad spokesman Mark Standriff emailed this press release, alleging “LaMalfa campaign caught conspiring to violate election law.” (Both the press alert and press release show how political reporting works, with attempts to control the media with language, such as “for planning purposes only” and “embarged until 10 a.m.” It’s a show.)
Sam4Congress.com (and this photo of Sam) is now gone. I called LaMalfa’s offices in Redding and Sacramento for comment on the allegations. Spokespeople in both offices said they could not comment and referred me to a campaign office.
UPDATE: Here’s LaMalfa’s response, according to the Bee, which has weighed in: “LaMalfa consultant Dave Gilliard released this statement this afternoon via email: ‘Neither Doug LaMalfa, nor the LaMalfa campaign, had any knowledge or involvement in the construction or posting of the website in question, which just came to our attention this morning. Political satire has a long history in American politics, something that thin-skinned candidates, or those trying to hide their record, sometimes have trouble fully appreciating.’
I wonder what Barry Pruett’s fellow local “righty” blogger Russ Steele, who just proudly endorsed LaMalfa, thinks. The right seems to be “eating their own” in this campaign — redolent of the Tom McClintock-Doug Ose congressional race of 2008.
May 15, 2012
Contact: Mark Standriff, Communications 916.365.4050 x206
***For Planning Purposes Only***
AANESTAD TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE
LaMALFA’S DISTRICT OFFICE TODAY
PENN VALLEY, CA Republican candidate for U.S. Congress Sam Aanestad
will hold a press conference Tuesday, May 15th in Redding to announce
evidence that the Doug LaMalfa for Congress campaign has violated
federal campaign election law.
Aanestad will be joined by Barry Pruett, Aanestad for Congress legal counsel.
The press conference, to be held outside Sen. LaMalfa’s district office
in Redding, will also layout specific requests for staff resignation,
removal of the illegal website, and formal apologies from Doug LaMalfa
and his campaign team.
WHO: Sam Aanestad, former state Legislator and Republican candidate for
U.S. Representatives
Barry Pruett, legal counsel, Aanestad for Congress
WHEN: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 1:00PM
WHERE: Outside Sen. Doug LaMalfa’s district office
2885 Churn Creek Rd, Suite C
Redding, CA 96002
WHAT: Discussing campaign finance violations by the LaMalfa for
Congress campaign.
Embargoed Until 10 a.m.
“CA CD 01 Breaking News: LaMalfa Campaign Caught Conspiring To Violate Election Law”
“(Redding, CA) – In a clear violation of federal campaign finance disclosure laws, and verified yesterday by release of official Internet registry documents, Doug LaMalfa’s congressional campaign registered and built a negative website about Sam Aanestad, then posted the site on the Internet while disclaiming its contents to link with another candidate in the race, Republican Michael Dacquisto. The website, http://www.Sam4Congress.com, violates a number of campaign finance laws, including several illegal independent expenditures and conspiracy to improperly disclaim a federal campaign website.
“The website originally posted a disclaimer that stated, “Free Thinkers for D’Acquisito.” Last week, Dacquisto angrily denied any involvement in the site and demanded its true creators take it down. The false Dacquisto site disclaimer was removed and the site now contains no official campaign disclaimer.
“To determine the source of the violation, the Aanestad campaign filed a lawsuit last week and subpoenaed records from the site host Wix.com. Yesterday morning, those records were delivered by Wix.com to the Aanestad campaign, showing the site was registered through GoDaddy.com on April 18, 2012 by LaMalfa Campaign Manager and Senate Chief of Staff Mark Spannegal, and paid for by a Golden 1 Visa Credit Card, presumably belonging to Spannegal.
“The response to the subpoena, along with captured screen shots of the original disclaimer, are all linked below in PDF form.
“This action represents an illegal failure to disclose campaign communication by the LaMalfa Congressional Committee, an illegal independent expenditure by the LaMalfa Committee on behalf of Michael Dacquisto, fraud by the LaMalfa Committee in disclaiming its own campaign communication to that of another candidate, and very possibly conspiracy by multiple individuals to willfully break federal law.”
(Photo credits: LaMalfa; Shasta Conservative and Aanestad, Hogue News)
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