TRICK: Fake Dems no treat to voters

If you read the letter to the editor from Karen Sullivan, who signed as Precinct 2 Democratic Committee Person, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, your first reaction was probably the same as mine: “What the heck?” This appears to be a political dirty trick.

As Chair of the Kootenai County Democrats, I can attest to the fact that Karen Sullivan is indeed a member of the Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee, having been duly elected in the May primary, albeit by only a handful of votes. She is one of the 11 “fake Democrats” — those Republicans (or Libertarians or Constitutionalists perhaps) who registered as Democrats and then ran for seats on the Democratic Central Committee in a bid, according to their recruiter, Larry Spencer, to take over. Six of those were elected.

On June 4, I sent a letter to all six urging them as a matter of conscience to resign if they were unable to support the primary goal of our Central Committee which is to recruit, support and elect Democrats to public office. Two gentlemen did resign. Two others have attended a couple of meetings and were cordially treated as far as I observed but have not been present for the past two or three. Karen Sullivan and another gentleman have never attended meetings.

I called Karen after the election; she was occupied at the time and did not return my call. (For those of you wondering why the Central Committee didn’t just oust the fake Ds: We can’t. They registered as Democrats and were duly elected by voters for a two-year term. Only appointed members can be removed by a vote of the Central Committee.)

So, you did not read a letter of support for Mr. Barbieri written by a Democrat but rather a “fake Democrat.” Perhaps this action reveals her real reason for posing as a Democrat: The ability to conduct “dirty tricks” during an election year. She is also revealing her own lack of character in perpetuating a lie about her own status as a Democrat.

PAULA NEILS

Chair, Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee