Campaign rules were not violated
Mayor Ashley Swearengin endorsed my candidacy for Fresno City Council on Jan. 26. She stated she endorsed me because of my record of strong, principled and independent leadership when I previously served on the council.
She cited my integrity, hiring more police officers to reduce crime, my efforts at mitigating urban sprawl, building neighborhood parks and trails, getting the Northeast Police substation, and being a strong voice for the people of District 6.
Rather than reporting in the paper on the endorsement and what she said, a Bee reporter told me they had a “tip” and instead falsely reported that I violated “campaign rules” because city staff turned on electricity to our podium, microphone and speakers (that I paid for) so a press conference could be held outside on public sidewalks where Mayor Swearengin endorsed me.
Absolutely no campaign rules were violated. City staff was used to turn on electricity, and I have asked for a bill so that I can pay for use of that staff time. The public would be much better served if The Bee reported real news in the paper rather than allowing itself to be used by other political campaigns.
Garry Bredefeld, Fresno
This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 4:42 AM with the headline "Campaign rules were not violated."