Friday, October 14, 2011

Outrageous false attacks on conservative Eric Frederick for Phoenix City Council

The false attacks taking place against Eric Frederick are truly vile. Not surprising that someone tied to liberal Democrat Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is behind it. He probably has grounds for a libel lawsuit over the false accusation that there was a judgment against him. And I must say I am really disappointed that Sheriff Joe Arpaio has endorsed liberal Thelda Williams in this race. Occasionally Arpaio has messed up and endorsed the wrong person in a race (remember when he "endorsed" Janet Napolitano over Matt Salmon?) Obviously someone put a lot of pressure on him, otherwise he would have endorsed conservative Eric Frederick. Frederick is neck and neck in the race against Williams. Please show up tomorrow morning and help with walking!

TeamFrederick Press Release
TeamFrederick Responds to Attack Ad


Phoenix, AZ  - October 14, 2011 - Yesterday, an attack advertisement against Eric Frederick hit mailboxes throughout the valley.  Like other pieces of literature my opponent and her supporters have mailed in this political campaign, this mailer contained outright lies, half-truths and twisted facts.  This particular piece was paid for by a group named "Concerned Citizens for Phoenix" which is a political committee formed just 4 days ago that spent $14,000 sending these mailers out.  The registered person and primary contributor to this campaign is Joseph Villasenor, a former top aide of Mayor Phil Gordon.  As usual, this is a concerted effort by those in the political "in" crowd to try and purchase an election through any means necessary including slandering the opponent. 

Wrong Eric Frederick
On the hit piece, it claims that in January of 2010 I had a judgement filed against me through Maricopa Courts.  Upon review of available court documents, the plaintiff on the judgement in question is AHCCCS and lists a defendant of Eric Frederick living in Mesa, AZ.  Given that I have never been on AHCCCS to begin with, nor have ever lived in Mesa, AZ, this obviously is a different Eric Frederick.  This clearly shows that my opposition is grasping at straws and operating in desperation. 

The second claim is of a Failure to Appear in Court on January 18, 2010.  This was a result of a minor traffic stop.  The fine was paid and therefore, there was no need to Appear in Court.  Claiming that I "failed to appear in court" is an extremely exaggerated distortion of the facts. 

The third claim is that I took creditors to court to avoid paying debt.  In 2006, a company I worked for called Mortgage Lenders Network went out of business suddenly and without warning.  At the time they went under, they did not pay commissions or salaries to any of their employees.  Instead of nearly $60,000 in commissions I had earned and expected, I received only pennies on the dollar while simultaneously being forced out of work.  In the years that followed, my family and I slashed  expenses at our household, worked multiple jobs at times, and made a valiant effort to stay afloat until the mortgage market improved. 

In 2009, I opened my own business by taking over an existing office.  When that occurred, I inherited all of the contracts, leases and obligations from the previous owner.  Due to unexpected costs associated with the office and unanticipated personal medical expenses, in 2010, my wife and I filed for bankruptcy in order to protect my licensing ability for FINRA registration.  However, as is allowed under Bankruptcy code, we are repaying every debt we incurred until they are paid off consistent with our ethics and responsibilities.  Filing for bankruptcy is not illegal nor "above the law"--it is a way for people to manage the risks associated with opening a business.   

It should be noted that my opponent, Thelda Williams, also filed for bankruptcy in 1991 while she was a sitting member of the Phoenix City Council. 
Concerned Citizens for Phoenix
The group behind this attack ad is "Concerned Citizens for Phoenix".  This organization is funded by Joseph Villasenor.  Mr. Villasenor previously served as a senior advisor for Mayor Phil Gordon and was relieved from those duties due to a domestic violence charge against him.  He now considers himself an "advisor" to the City and continues to perform the dirty work required to maintain the status quo at the City of Phoenix. 

The group has already declared spending of $14,000 to send out mailers.  It also appears they have violated numerous campaign finance laws.  Today, I will be filing a formal complaint with the Arizona Secretary of State's office regarding these illegal expenditures.  I will provide more details on that filing at a press conference today at 4:00 at the AZ State Capitol.
Real Issues
The City of Phoenix faces real issues.  I have identified core elements of very needed reform.  Many of these reform items including changing the City structure that has proved detrimental to the taxpayers of Phoenix while protecting the politically connected.  Issues such as having the City Auditors reporting directly to the City Council and Mayor as opposed to the current structure of reporting to the City Manager threatens to destroy the cozy relationships that exist at City Hall.  .  We also have persistent unemployment, record budgets, Emergency Food Taxes still in place, water rates that continue to climb unchecked, vacant homes in virtually every neighborhood and many more.  My opponent and her supporters do not want to discuss these issues.  It should be no surprise, then, that my opponent and her supporters will go to whatever extremes necessary to assure victory including lies and deception.  Unfortunately, the court systems for pursuing slander charges do not move as quickly as an election. 

Tomorrow's Walk
Tomorrow, we will be having our weekly walk beginning at 9:30 am at the Bagel Gourmet.  It is located on Bell Rd just west of the I-17 in the Frys complex.  We will have walking lists as well as an opportunity to sign up for phone banking.  As has always been the case, the volunteer efforts are the only way we will be able to combat the unlimited funds that my opponent clearly has access to.  Please join us tomorrow as we work to bring New Leadership and Fresh Ideas to Phoenix!


Paid for by TeamFrederick
www.ElectFrederick.com
electfrederick@gmail.com
602-748-9780 Phone

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