Delegate Questions Spate of Negative Ads in Prince George’s House Race – Maryland Matters

For the primary time in additional than a decade, two long-time elected officers in Prince George’s County aren’t on the poll — however that doesn’t imply they aren’t busy boosting candidates and attempting to affect elections of their legislative district.

A collection of textual content messages this week attacked Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D), who just isn’t searching for re-election in Bowie-based District 23, and tried to discourage voters from supporting her favored candidates.

“Final 12 months, Geraldine Valentino Smith voted with Republicans to maintain extra budgetary energy within the Governor’s Workplace, reasonably than distribute it to the Normal Meeting,” mentioned one message from the Twenty-Third District Staff Slate, which Valentino-Smith was as soon as part of.

“…Now she’s leaving Annapolis in shame, and supporting different candidates like Adrian Boafo, one other finances bungler, to switch her,” the message continued. It referred to Boafo, a Bowie metropolis councilmember and certainly one of 10 Democrats searching for three Home seats in District 23.

The message and no less than one different prefer it have been delivered throughout early voting — and when candidates from rival campaigns have been all gathered on the similar voting middle. A number of candidates on the District 23 slate denied figuring out about or authorizing the messages earlier than they have been despatched, Boafo and Valentino-Smith mentioned they have been informed.

In gentle of the denials, Valentino-Smith despatched a letter to the Workplace of the Legal professional Normal on Friday, and requested the workplace to overview the messages to find out if there was an unauthorized use of the marketing campaign committee’s authority line.

“If these messages weren’t licensed by the suitable people of the state registered marketing campaign committee, this could possibly be thought-about a critical breach of truthful and clear electioneering and represent election tampering,” she wrote.

The slate’s chairperson and treasurer listing the identical cellphone quantity on State Board of Elections paperwork. That cellphone quantity constantly led to a busy sign Thursday by means of Saturday.

The slate, which was established in 2011, has included dozens of members throughout its existence. Members operating for Normal Meeting didn’t return voicemails.

Most not too long ago, the slate’s wealth is due to former Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D), who primarily funded the committee this cycle. When Peters resigned from the Maryland Senate in July 2021, he donated $160,000 of the $262,565 left in his marketing campaign checking account to the slate. He additionally gave $6,000 to Valentino-Smith, and smaller sums to different colleagues.

The slate’s officers beforehand labored as consultants for Peters’ marketing campaign.

By means of certainly one of his firms, The Peters Group, the previous senator has shared his endorsements of candidates on the slate this summer time. Although he’s now a member of the College System of Maryland Board of Regents, Peters’ messages are signed by “Senator Doug Peters.”

Boafo just isn’t amongst these endorsed by the slate. The slate at present consists of Sen. Ron Watson (D), who was elevated from the Home to the Senate after Peters resigned, Del. Marvin Holmes (D), the one incumbent within the 10-candidate Home main, and two political newcomers, Kym Taylor and Jocelyn Irene Collins.

Boafo, in an interview, mentioned “detrimental adverts within the twenty third haven’t actually labored.” His job between now and Tuesday, Boafo mentioned, is “to ensure we get the coalition we’ve constructed throughout the end line.”

Peters didn’t return a name searching for remark about his latest endorsements or the slate textual content messages.

Reached by cellphone, Valentino-Smith mentioned: “Destructive adverts are a part of our political enterprise. However election tampering by misuse of an authority line is a brand new low for Maryland politics, if that’s the case.”

Equally phrased textual content messages attacking Valentino-Smith and a candidate she endorsed for County Council, Michael Esteve, have been despatched out this week by the developer-funded Jobs 1st tremendous PAC.

That PAC paid $5,000 to Peters’ daughter, Natalie, for marketing campaign supplies earlier this month.

Peters’ political profession started in 1998, when he was elected to the Bowie metropolis council for 4 years. He then spent 4 years on the Prince George’s County Council earlier than being elected to the Senate in 2006.

Valentino-Smith served on the Bowie metropolis council from 2007 to 2010 earlier than being elected to the Home of Delegates. Holmes was elected to the Home in 2002, however most everybody else searching for a Home seat in District 23 is a political newcomer.