Voters in the 28th Legislative District (Tacoma West Slope, University Place, Fircrest, Lakewood, Dupont, Steilacoom) have been barraged by tens of thousands of illegal telephone calls attacking State Senator Mike Carrell (R-Lakewood). State law requires that all campaign calls be identified with the name of the organization paying for them, but these calls had no such information.

This isn’t the first instance of dirty tricks directed by Debi Srail and her allies against Carrell.

The News Tribune said that one Srail mail piece was “especially egregious” and that her mail hits “far below [the belt]”. The Tribune also said it had “no luck” finding facts behind Srail’s claims. Attorney General McKenna characterized her mail pieces as “misleading” and “repugnant.” Srail and her allies have run twice as many negative pieces against Senator Carrell versus anything positive they have found to say about her.

Luke Esser, Chairman of the Washington State Republican Party, offered the following statement:

“Debi Srail and her allies have run a desperate and cynical campaign from start to finish,” Esser said. “Srail and her allies have sent out mail pieces with coffins and other frightening images. And these sleazy attack ads lack any documentation to back up their claims. Not content with appalling and factually misleading mail pieces, Srail’s allies have now resorted to illegal phone calls to slander her opponent. I have one question for Ms. Srail: Have you no shame?”

Anti-Carrell Phone Scipt

“Are you tired of the negative campaigning? So am I. But Republican Mike Carrell has been called the king of negative campaigning by local political experts. He’ll say anything and do anything to get elected. Don’t believe his smears and lies. Let’s get a senator who will fight for us and not against us. Let’s finally get rid of Mike Carrell.”

Contrary to state law, the pro-Srail phone calls were cloaked in secrecy. They not only lacked information as to who paid for them, they originated from numbers that were quickly disconnected after the calls were made. The first calls went out on Halloween. One recipient received a call at 5:28 p.m. Another reported a call at 5:50 p.m. A phone ID indicated the number as coming from 253-460-8371. That number was called back at 7 p.m., but by that time it had been disconnected. The day after Halloween the calls continued. This time a recipient reported that the ID number was 253-566-9921. By the time that number was called back, it too was disconnected.

Washington state law clearly states that candidates – and their supporters – must identify themselves in election communications. See: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.17.510

Washington state law also clearly identifies openness as a goal of the law in regards to campaigns. See: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.17.010

“It is ironic that Ms. Srail’s allies identify Senator Carrell as the ‘king of negative campaigning,’” said Esser. “It is Srail and her supporters who have been called out for running a negative campaign from everyone from Attorney General Rob McKenna to the editorial board of the News Tribune.

“Debi Srail will probably claim that her campaign had nothing to do with these calls. She may be telling the truth, but with the lack of identification on the calls it is impossible to know. At the very least Srail encouraged this illegal behavior with the dirty campaign she has been running all along. The very least she can do now is strongly denounce these last-second sleazy tactics on her behalf. Nothing less will restore the public trust in Srail if she ever is to hold office or run for office again.”