by: Matthew Kordon, Libertarian Candidate for NC House - District 11
A humbling misstep running for office came in September when, in my naivety, I planned to divert time to a side goal. I wanted to convince voters to choose the smaller-government option for an upcoming Cary housing bond. I announced my decision no sooner than my treasurer discussed with me the logistics. Concerned, I pivoted to research whether this would be difficult or discordant with the law, and it was both.
Upon reflection, I realized a candidate committee is entrusted to focus on the advocacy of that candidate; the people of my district are stakeholders. I owe it to them to stay focused. Embarrassed, I swiftly announced that the project was canceled.
Then one week later, my incumbent rival Allison Dahle permanently stretched the purpose of her candidate committee: On September 26th, she announced that she took all remaining funds and redistributed them to other Democrats running for offices including Kamala/ Walz.
By opaquely redirecting thousands entrusted to her, what she did was unethical, maybe illegal. There should be a price for such malfeasance! What we know about her behavior is disgraceful; when I requested to know more about her decision, she only repeated her announcement and claimed what she did was not illegal. She even spun the situation as no different than if she had spent the money!
By redirecting those funds, she betrayed the donors who distinctively choose not to give that money to others. Maybe for them, the issues at the State-level matter most. Maybe they only donated because they know her enough to judge her character in contrast to the out-of-state Kamala Harris. Their choice was to a specific cause, in hundreds of dollars by some, but that action was overridden entirely.
My conversation with her was brief but exhibited astonishing contrast! I was courteous and transparent in my desire to know more. Her written response was blunt. She asserted that redistribution was not for “other causes.” In response, I then addressed the fact that Rep. Dahle had just told everyone a lie and pleaded with her one final time to share details. Instead, she went silent, not even accepting an offer to speak in private. Much like when my Republican opponent was accused of bigotry in April, my inquiry to get to the truth was stonewalled.
These days I uphold the Golden Rule; I believe people are foremost individuals with the birthrights Enlightenment figures spoke of, thus I refer to her as “Representative” or “Rep. Dahle” and not “Allison” because I grant her and hers humanizing respect. I believe there are no shortcuts: either you aspire to be just and it reflects in your actions, or not. That the Representative behaves unjustly reveals her true character, which flows downstream to the authoring of bills and voting.
If the Representative broke financial law, it was not the first time! In July, Dahle’s treasurer recorded funds redirected to her Party as an operational expense, seven thousand dollars. Dahle then waited a month before the election to offload most remaining money and her final financial report will not be public until it is too late to affect her reelection. If what she did was as “above board” as she claims, why hide? Should not politicians be an open book? The Republicans are already pursuing greater secrecy in finances and disclosure requests so it is disheartening to see a Democrat display the same corruption.
Lastly, Representative Dahle broke an unspoken promise with her donors. One PAC donated more than the size of my biweekly paycheck. Many individuals gave contributions in the hundreds of dollars! I, by contrast, take my fiduciary responsibility seriously for each person who gives me anything; I not only backed away from my bond project, I wrote a newsletter to my donors to get their feedback after.
Campaign season is a trial period to discover a candidate’s professionalism, thus Allison Dahle demonstrated that she cannot be trusted with money she promises to spend. But that should not surprise anyone who knows her record: only 1/6th of bills she attaches her name to as a major or minor contributor have gotten a vote by the Republican majority, and even fewer of those bills pass or have a dollar amount. Allison has almost-always failed to keep her money promises!
Over 150 people reacted positively to the announcement on Facebook, but what is seemingly popular is not always moral. Engagement on social media is lethargic —not the same as 150 people in a crowd cheering. I ask you, if 150 people smiled at a painting of Satan, would that suddenly make him any less evil?
I align with her agenda 40% of the time, and I will try a new approach at coalition building across aisles with a focus on consensus to yield results for overlapping agenda items the Representative halfheartedly pursues. In light of her sordid character, would not voting for me be better?
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