Enough of the smearing

It’s a wonder anyone who is decent, modest and even-tempered and whose head and ego don’t swell when speaking to audiences would want to run for public office. It’s such a nasty, ugly, dirty business.

Which often makes it no wonder we end up with the choice of the least worst person on our ballots. Indeed, other than the few sincerely motivated (naive?) idealists and power-hungry narcissists, who wants to go through what it takes to win an election?

Here in Sarasota and Manatee counties, it sure feels like we are seeing more than usual a surge in the vitriol and sleazy campaign ads. And the nastiness is coming from all sides (See “Republicans killing their own; ‘go negative to win,’ July 10, YourObserver.com/Opinion).

The consultants swear the sleaze brings victory, but voters are disgusted and turned off. When candidates constantly tear down their opponents or engage in dirty tactics, they tarnish their character and integrity. Trust and likability are diminished. But they just keep doing it.  

In Manatee County, one candidate and his wife, to their credit, decided not to take it and not to engage in it, either.

Tal Siddique, 30, is running for office for the first time, seeking the District 3 County Commission seat as a Republican. Siddique and his wife, Kristen Truong, 29, two super nice young adults who are involved in their community — just the kind of people we need more of — have been barraged with what must feel like cannon fire hitting the walls and windows of their home every day — negative, false, truth-stretched and twisted mailers and text messages. 

Unfortunately, they have the disadvantage of not being part of the Manatee Republican Party establishment. Siddique is running against the chair of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee, April Culbreath.

And no surprise, Culbreath has the financial backing of the traditional donors, developers and homebuilders. Perhaps most important, Culbreath signed up with the region’s notorious political hit man, Anthony Pedicini.

Pedicini has relentlessly fired Scud-like missiles, one after another, via mailers into District 1 in west Manatee, attempting to viscerate Siddique. He has called him a “Biden Democrat” because Siddique formerly was a registered Democrat. Pedicini alleges Siddique “is connected to the radical, anti-cop Black Lives Matter Organization”; that he is a “Never Trump” guy; that “the Siddiques are soft-on-crime Democrats”; and that Siddique’s wife has “ties directly to the Clintons.”

One mailer has a doctored photo of Siddique and his wife standing with the Clintons; another with them wearing sweaters doctored with the Democrat Party mule embroidered on their chests.

At first, Truong took it. “I expected there would be negative campaigning against Tal,” she told us. “I did not expect to be attacked or have negative campaigning against me as a spouse or a family member, let alone unfactual and defamatory falsehoods put out.

“When they brought me in as the spouse, and I’m not a public figure. Yes, I’m involved in the community. I’m on the Manatee County Foundation board; I was elected to serve on the Bradenton Kiwanis board; I’m out in the community, but I don’t consider myself a public figure. To attack me to discredit his campaign is, honestly, despicable.

“People were calling, texting and emailing me saying, ‘What the heck is this? Why are you on these negative mailers? Why are they attacking you? It doesn’t make sense.’” 

Her family members became especially upset when, in one mailer, it implied the Siddique and Truong had just moved to Manatee from Washington, D.C. “I was born here,” Truong said. She is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Bradenton Christian High School. 

The tipping point came after mailers on July 25 and 26. “What Pedicini and his candidates have done to this county, which is my hometown, is so sad,” Truong said. “I said, ‘Enough is enough.’”

So they turned to Tampa lawyer Mike Beltran, a Harvard law graduate and former undefeated light heavyweight wrestler from Brooklyn whose tag line is: “I’ll fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.”

Beltran sent a two-page cease-and-desist letter to the lawyer representing Pedicini and The Committee to Expose Fake Republicans.

“Fake Republicans’ text message falsely alleges that Ms. Truong is a ‘Democrat,’” Beltran wrote. “In fact, however, Ms. Truong has been a registered Republican since she was 18 years old. She has never been a Democrat.

“Second, the text claims Truong has a ‘direct connection to the Clintons.’ Ms. Truong has never met or spoken to the Clintons, and certainly lacks any ‘direct connection.’”

Truong is vice president of public affairs for the Washington, D.C., lobbying firm Capitol Hill Partners. One of its partners served as a chief of staff in the Department of Labor during the Clinton administration.

Beltran also takes issue with the doctored photo with the Clintons. “The fabricated scene … is highly defamatory in that it seeks to show Ms. Truong in a negative light to Republican voters, damaging her reputation.”

On the accusation of Siddique’s connections to BLM, here’s the thin thread: 

Truong is a registered lobbyist for the D.C.-based not-for-profit, Results for America. Its mission is to “elevate and amplify the voices of community leaders, particularly leaders of color,” and it says it is “inspired by the many groups and evidence-driven organizations that are pursuing solutions to reduce police violence and reform our legal system.” One of those groups it lists: BLM.

Clearly, that was the “a-ha” hook to smear Siddique and Truong.

To which, Siddique says: “I do not have any connection to BLM. In public forums I publicly deny any connection to BLM.” 

Says Truong: “I have never lobbied for Black Lives Matter.” 

Beltran went on to demand “full and fair corrections, apologies and/or retractions” and that they be sent and mailed in the same manner and to the same people as the original mailers and text messages. He also recommended no further smears until after the Aug. 20 primary.

Predictably, Pedicini’s lawyer responded: “(N) o retraction, correction or apology appears to be warranted” and that Beltran’s threat of litigation is “a clear attempt to silence political speech on matters of public importance in advance of an upcoming election.”

For now, Siddique and Truong are pausing on whether to pursue litigation — at least until after the primary. But even then, the likelihood of prevailing in a libel and defamation suit would be difficult and costly. Truong would have to prove the mailers’ authors published false information with reckless disregard of the truth and that the information caused tangible damage to Truong’s reputation.

They know the hurdles. But as Truong told us: “To me, every penny we paid was worth it, because Pedicini has been getting away with way too much for far too long. The cease-and-desist letter is a start. Someone needs to put something out there and stand up to him and hold him accountable.”

At the same time, Siddique and Truong also have gone on the offense. On July 27, Siddique posted online: “Open Letter: Why I Joined the Republican Party.” (VoteTal.com/Media/Open-Letter-Why-I-Joined-The-Republican-Party.)

Siddique explains how he grew up in the D.C. suburbs in a working-class family and “experienced firsthand the slow decline which forced many families like mine into poverty or on our streets — the American Dream put out of reach. My environment in a blue state taught me government should be the answer and that standing in lines for benefits was normal in America.”

But in his late 20s, he began “to enjoy a successful career. I felt I could relate to (Ronald) Reagan’s maxim: ‘Government is not the solution … (O)ne can only help themselves. My beliefs about limited government, personal responsibility and individual liberties aligned more with the Republican Party.”

Astutely, Siddique’s letter also made this point: “Reagan and Donald Trump switched parties based on their core values and vision for America.”

Siddique’s second retaliatory shot was loading his campaign website with a personal dossier that can make voters reach this conclusion: There is no relation between the real candidate Tal Siddique and the one Pedicini has made up.

See for yourself. Go to Siddique’s site: VoteTal.com/#Meet-Tal. And for good measure, add to that dossier Truong’s own history in Bradenton: “I received the Manatee Community Foundation Spirit of Manatee Young Spirit Award in 2013 and Golden Herald honorable mention award for Citizenship in 2013. I’m not a newcomer to being involved in our community.”

Tal Siddique and Kristen Truong are not going to bring an end to sleazy mailers and dishonest campaigning. But if Siddique wins at least his primary, that victory can send a strong message.

Just imagine how the tone of America would be if candidates and their handlers focused on selling the candidates’ competence, qualifications and core beliefs.

Next week: The developers speak.