Smear Campaigns

This week, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Voter Information Night sponsored by the PTSA.  Thank you to everyone who was able to attend to learn more about the candidates running for Johns Creek City Council.

Unfortunately, on leaving the Johns Creek High School auditorium after 9:30PM that night, I discovered a flyer on my car windshield that some unknown, misguided person fabricated to smear Karen Richardson and by implication me by seeming to imply that I created or endorsed this flyer.  This flyer was created by downloading words and images from the Internet to promote falsehoods.  What I know with certainty is that I had no part of it, I do not endorse it, and I strongly discourage any effort to smear any candidate for Johns Creek City Council.  I consider Karen Richardson a friend and a wonderful person.  No one should appreciate these low-handed tactics in Johns Creek.  

On arriving home after the Voter Information Night, I called the Johns Creek police department to report my dismay that someone was issuing this flyer with my campaign sign on it.  An official police report has now been filed.  I have also forwarded the flyer to the PTSA organizers so they can investigate who placed these flyers on cars at the event.  My hope is that whoever was misguided enough to smear one of my opponents, and seek voter support for me through the use of underhanded tactics is found.  I do not want the votes of people who choose their preferred candidate based on smears of others.

Unfortunately, the immediate reaction of Councilman Raffensperger and Councilwoman Richardson to this smear flyer was to erroneously and without any evidence assume that I was a party to this flyer.  In his efforts to support the candidacy of Karen Richardson, Brad sent out an email to the community forwarding a press release from Karen Richardson saying "I ask that my opponent - Nancy Reinecke- whose name and logo appear on the flyers to immediately retract her lies and stop misleading the voters of Johns Creek."  She further added, "Reinecke should apologize and withdraw from the race for attempting to mislead the voters with pure, malicious lies, or state that she had nothing to do with the libelous flyer."  I can understand Karen's frustration with this smear flyer.  However, I am disappointed that Brad and Karen in a 'knee-jerk" reaction failed to stop and think about what they in turn are doing to me by sending out these communications.  I am saddened that Brad and Karen would even think that I would be a party to these smears and I have expressed my dismay to them.  I sincerely appreciate that Brad has since issued an email to correct the record.

It is my firm belief that the candidates and council members should set the level of discourse in our community at a high level and not call into question the honesty of others.  As a candidate, I often wonder how voters decide on which candidate to support, but I know that it should not be done through smears and attacks.