Letter: It’s about integrity

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on October 21, 2019

In a recent news article regarding the theft of my campaign signs by former Kennett Supervisor Michael Elling, a well-known supporter of my opponent Hunter Tower. However, this article includes the following quote from Mr. Tower’s official response to the incident that I found profoundly unsettling and disingenuous:

“It has come to our attention that someone has taken down yard signs of my opponent in this election for township supervisor. We had no previous knowledge of these actions and absolutely no connection to them, whatsoever. I strongly condemn such actions and have communicated this to the Leff campaign. I fully support free speech and free and fair elections. Any attempts to use these events to connect them with our campaign are not only inaccurate but do a disservice to the voters of Kennett Township.”

Whether Mr. Tower specifically knew about Mr. Elling’s sign-stealing before it occurred is certainly debatable. But let’s examine some undebatable facts:

Elling (not “someone”) was photographed by Kennett Township police removing "We Like Leff" campaign signs and a probable cause was filed with the court explicitly naming him.
According to public campaign finance records, Mr. Elling was the largest early financial contributor to Mr. Tower's campaign, clearly connecting him to it.
After being caught red-handed stealing my signs, Mr. Elling has been seen (and photographed) putting up additional Tower campaign signs and canvassing for the Tower campaign.

Had Mr. Tower clearly owned up to his association with Mr. Elling and then acted effectively to disassociate his campaign from Mr. Elling and his illegal actions, Mr. Tower’s avowed support of ‘free and fair elections’ might be believable. As it is, by pretending that his campaign has had nothing to do with Mr. Elling and shirking his own responsibility to properly manage his own supporters, it is Mr. Tower himself who does “a disservice to the voters of Kennett Township.”

If Mr. Tower doesn’t have the integrity to tell the people of Kennett Township the truth on this issue, will he ever?