Adam Huening, Greensburg Daily News
April 28, 2008 07:43 pm
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As the primary draws near, many candidates step up their efforts to raise funds and get their voices out to the public. .
An e-mail sent by Republican candidate for State Senate District 42 Jean Leising has raised questions from her opponent. In an e-mail sent to a group of currently serving state Senators, Leising offered a quick look at how her campaign was going and asked for funds to help her surpass the money raised by Republican opponent Jeff Sponsel.
In the e-mail dated April 22 obtained by the Greensburg Daily News, Leising details a variety of endorsements to the recipients before seeking support.
“The only polling that I have seen shows me ahead in all cases, with Jeff Sponsel from Shelbyville running (third) or (fourth). However, he has done the best job of fundraising among my opponents. I need to raise another $20,000 in these last two weeks to complete our campaign plan. I would be most grateful for any financial support you might be able to offer,” she wrote in the e-mail.
It concludes with her campaign office address and, “Thanks for any kind words with lobbyists, etc.” The e-mail was sent to Senators’ Statehouse e-mail addresses issued by the government. Leising said she authored the e-mail and only wished to update her old friends on how the campaign was going.
“I didn’t realize they were Statehouse addresses,” she said in a phone interview on her way to a campaign stop in Brookville Thursday. “I served with (these senators) in the past. Some of them are my friends, and I just wanted to inform them how things were going as the campaign winds down.”
Leising said she received the addresses, which all begin with senate districts and end in the government exchange “in.gov,” from someone in the party. She said she never would have sent the e-mail had she known it would go to the Statehouse.
Sponsel, however, said he doesn’t buy it. While he knows no law was broken, he said it seemed unethical to use a government-owned communication avenue for campaign fundraising.
“When this e-mail was first brought to my attention I thought it was a hoax. I didn't believe anyone would use the state government e-mail system to actively solicit campaign contributions,” Sponsel said. “But, it appears to be true, and the level of brashness that it takes to use the government e-mail system to raise money is really remarkable.”
Sponsel noted there was an executive order issued by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2005 significantly limiting fundraising for state government employees. The order prohibits staff and current politicians from using state e-mail, phone and other facilities for fundraising.
However, Leising is not currently an elected official, so the rule does not apply.
“Apparently, Leising’s e-mail falls within a loophole in the law,” Sponsel said. “Some folks may say, ‘Oh, it’s only an e-mail,’ but I think it’s the principle that matters here. Jean was a state Senator for eight years and she ought to know better. Her actions may not have violated the letter of the law, but it clearly violates the spirit of the law.”
Sponsel said if elected he would pose legislation to close this loophole, which he feels is a matter of common sense.
Sponsel’s reaction was no surprise to Leising. She noted she had been warned to watch out for mudslinging.
“I’ve been warned that Sponsel would do negative things in the next 10 days or so. It’s my understanding that’s the way he ran his city council campaign,” Leising said. “I haven’t talked evil about him. He’s just a candidate trying to do whatever he can to win.”
She said her intentions for the e-mail as well as her campaign were to garner support so she could serve the people of her district.
“I was at a meeting in his (Shelby) county (Wednesday) night with 200 property owners worried they were going to lose their homes because of taxes. He wasn’t there,” she said.
Leising said she would continue to run her campaign the same and hoped voters respond. As for Sponsel, she said she has no desire to enter into a verbal fist fight.
“I’m not in this race to beat him up,” Leising said. “I’m in it because I want to be the voice for the people of this district.”
Adam Heuning in the news editor at the Greensburg Daily News and can be reached by e-mail at adam.huening@greensburgdailynews.com.
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