“It’s clear this incident is a breach of the public’s trust even though no charges will be filed. Recruiting a straw candidate to manufacture a one-sided race is not what state representatives, let alone the speaker of the House, are elected to do. As legislators, we must be held to a higher standard. It’s terrible that some elected officials choose to act this way, putting their careers ahead of the people that put them in office. House Democrats have introduced a package of election reform and ethics bills that aim to prevent this sort of behavior, but unsurprisingly, the House Republicans has refused to take action on them. Regardless of Republican cooperation, or lack thereof, we will continue working to make state government accountable and transparent, as it should be.”
