CHAP PRESS STATEMENT

Chap Petersen just had a press conference outside Jeannemarie's office.  Every major TV station and newspaper was there.

The Fairfax Police which have endorsed Chap were also there, and they announced the state police which endorsed Jeannemarie were in the process of pulling their endorsement over the risk she put Chap's children in.

Also speaking were Sharon Petersen, Steve Shannon and Ray Morrogh.

Chap's statement:

"Thanks everyone for being here today. I want to let you know, first of all, that my family is fine. We’ve had a stressful couple days, and my wife took the kids to her parents’ house yesterday. Regardless, we are back home and everybody’s fine. I want to thank the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office and the Deputies for making themselves available as needed.

I’ll begin by admitting two facts. One, I’ve been in politics a while and I’m used to being attacked. I’ve probably been the subject of at least thirty (30) negative mail pieces from the Republicans in the past six years and, like most voters, I shrug them off. I also will admit that I often use pictures of my family in my campaign literature. I do it for three reasons: I love them, I’m proud of them and they’re a big part of who I am.

Having said that, what happened this week was unprecedented. On Wednesday afternoon, while I was campaigning, I got a phone call from my wife Sharon. She said that someone had called our house asking angry questions about me and Enron. She did not know what they were talking about. She asked the caller how they got our home number, and they responded it was on my Statement of Economic Interest. Later that afternoon, she saw other calls to the house but did not answer them as she didn’t recognize the caller i.d. At least one unknown person left a message asking a return call. Sharon asked me if I’d released our home number for some reason and I said no.

On Thursday morning, Sharon checked the previous day’s mail and saw we’d received an attack piece from Senator Devolites-Davis about my past association with the national law firm of Bracewell & Patterson, a firm which has represented thousands of corporate clients. The top portion of my Statement of Economic Interest was enclosed. My family’s personal information – including home phone, home address, and the names of our daughters – was circled in red ink on the attack piece and red arrows were drawn pointing to it.

I’ve seen the piece myself and verified those facts. I have also spoken with dozens of friends and neighbors who received it and noted that our family’s information was disclosed in a very public way. It is evident that this was a district-wide mailing.

Words can’t describe the anger I feel. My family does not live in a gated community. We live in on a public street in a subdivision which is easily accessible to strangers. In fact, we are two blocks from the County jail.

My family’s safety is paramount to me. The thought that our personal information would be disclosed to 60,000 strangers and done so in an attack ad meant to incite hatred of me is shocking. The fact that it’s done by someone currently in public office is incredible.

My first instinct was that my opponent’s campaign had made a terrible mistake. But having reviewed the piece and witnessed my opponent’s mail and televised attacks over the past month, I don’t think so. Instead, these particular tactics – particularly the red circling and arrows – are obviously calculated to cause harassment of us personally in the last few days of the campaign. In that respect, it worked.

I don’t mind the “give and take” of a campaign. In fact, I’ve enjoyed our debates this year, especially my opponent’s attempted transition from conservative to liberal, while the rest of her party watches in confusion. That’s politics.

What I do mind is the arrogant mind-set that says “I can get away with this” because I’m in public office or my spouse is a powerful public figure.

It’s wrong. Anyone who discloses a family’s personal information to gain a political advantage lacks the moral compass to serve in public office. The fact that it’s my family makes no difference. You should never do that to any family. I have never discussed the family life of Devolites-Davis in my campaign – she should have returned the same courtesy.

We have eleven days to go. As far as I’m concerned, this matter is closed and we’re moving forward. My family will not be intimidated by these tactics. We are Democrats, but we’re not pacifists. We don’t back down from a fight.

We will run this race to the finish line and when it’s over, we will bring new leadership to the 34th State Senate District."

Comments

[politicssucks]

My first instinct was that my opponent’s campaign had made a terrible mistake. But having reviewed the piece and witnessed my opponent’s mail and televised attacks over the past month, I don’t think so. Instead, these particular tactics – particularly the red circling and arrows – are obviously calculated to cause harassment of us personally in the last few days of the campaign. In that respect, it worked.

That lost it for me

Political scum all around

Great statement. Git R Done.

[Not Tom's staff]

Isn't it great how the trolls at JMDD's campaign attempt to make the first comment on this thread?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Even better was how Tom's staffer Nick Meads stood in the window of their office peering out and looking sad.

[fannyboy]

Somewhere today, there's a mail consultant being berated by a very angry U.S. congressman.

[Not Tom's staff]

Hey, Meads, aren't you on the government payroll? How about doing your job for the people of the 11th CD and getting off the computer.

[Not Larry Sabato]

No, I mean at the press conference itself, (office is shared by Tom and JMDD) and Nick's face was pressed up against the window.

I'm not sure he is federal staff, he might be political only. Let's check the reports.

[Doug]

Great statement, i hope to read about it in the Post. Can we coin this as the Macaca Mailer? Or a Macaca moment- now meaning the point when a politician shorts him/herself in the foot with a bazooka?

[After]

when is the press conference scheduled to be aired?

[Common Sense]

Has JMDD apologized? That's the tell as to whether it was a mistake or calculated politicking.

Was the Post there? Or had Tom Davis not given them permission to cover this story?

[Sam]

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, and I was willing all day yesterday to accept that this was a mistake. JMDD's silence on it, however, is speaking volumes to me....

Doug - I think you have to have been winning first to have a "macaca moment." This is more of a "Dukakis driving the tank moment."

[Carrington]

Great statement. Stick a fork in.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

This was a class act by Chap. Good for him for fighting back, and for putting a stop to the personal attack style politics.

Score one for righteousness, today.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Now, they still need to pass a law in Virginia preventing this from EVER happening again. I sure as hell hope Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) will patron such legislation having lived through what he and his family have.

[Brian Kirwin]

I imagine Mr. Petersen will now attack the phone book, because his address and phone number are in the WHITE PAGES!!!

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

While we're at it, the law ought to prevent the unauthorized access to ANY federally-defined PII held by any agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and any of its jurisdictional agencies, as well.

That way, we can fix this mess in the Fairfax Clerk of the Courts systems.

PII should be controlled and released based on permission from the individuals, NOT the government.

[Not Brian]

Brian Kirwin:

Better check your email account. Some dipshit is posting comments in your name.

http://www.netdisaster.com/go.php?mode=dog&url=http://www.devolites.org/

[Doug]

Somebody put his mullet on way too tight this morning. Or his man-thong.

[Doug]

Ah, the internets are great. Anon 2:03, I see your dog poo and raise it this:

http://www.pornolize.com/pornolize4?lang=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bearingdrift.com%2F

[Doug]

oh, that post is NSFW and not to be used if you are under 18. Sorry!

[The Richmond Democrat]

What Mr. Kirwin neglects to take into account is the incitement factor.

Yes, anyone could have looked up Mr. Petersen's information and then engaged in harassing behavior without Ms. Devolites-Davis' involvement. But no one apparently did so until after Ms. Devolites-Davis' campaign sent out a flyer that was obviously meant to incite harassment of Mr. Petersen's family. There was a causal connection between the incitement and the harassment.

Mr. Kirwin tries to deflect the central issue by noting that Mr. Petersen is listed in the White Pages. What Mr. Kirwin is implying is that anyone could have used the information listed in the White Pages to harass the Petersen family.

But there is nothing to suggest that the White Pages or any other company or individual has taken action to deliberately provoke the harassment of Mr. Peteren's family. Mr. Kirwin attempts to deflect attention from Ms. Devolites-Davis' actions--things she actually did--by citing hypothetical actions by third parties that did not take place.

Your arguments just won't fly Mr. Kirwin. It is Ms. Devolites-Davis' own actions that condemn her.

Yes, hypothetically any number of people might have incited harassment of Chap Petersen's wife and children. But only Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis ACTUALLY DID incite that kind of harassment, harassment which drove Mrs. Petersen and the Petersen family's small children out of their own home.

This is inexcusable behavior from an elected official.

[ConsertvativeFlagFan]

Give me a break. This is dumb. The Statement of Economic Interest is a public record anyway. And it can be published in any way one sees fit. I could post it on my web site right now. This is Chap taking advantage of a blogger who trumped up an error to support his candidate. This is pathetic.

[LAS]

"We are Democrats, but we’re not pacifists. We don’t back down from a fight."

Damm straight! That's telling them, Chap!