Republican Party claims Smith shopped endorsement for money
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Harri Ann endorses Bobby Bright
Harri Ann endorses Bobby Bright
Jay Hare/jhare@dothaneagle.com
State Sen. Harri Anne Smith endorsed Democrat Bobby Bright on Monday in the race for the Second Congressional District seat.
Hours after Republican State Senator Harri Anne Smith endorsed Democratic Congressional candidate Bobby Bright, the executive director of the Alabama Republican Party alleged Monday that Smith shopped her endorsement between Bright and fellow Republican Jay Love.
John Ross told the Dothan Eagle Monday that Bill Harris, who was Smith’s campaign manager during her Republican Congressional primary race with Love, told him on Oct. 7 that Smith was prepared to endorse Bright in exchange for $150,000 to help retire her campaign debt. However, Ross said Harris told him Smith was willing to entertain offers from the Love campaign.
When reached by the Dothan Eagle, Harris said that he did have a conversation with Ross, but declined to comment further.
“I’m not going to discuss any conversation because, as a campaign manager, I have a confidentiality agreement I signed with her,” Harris said. “Unless Sen. Smith allows me to say anything, I’m not at liberty to confirm or deny anything.”
Earlier Monday, Smith publicly endorsed Bright in Dothan at the beginning of Bright’s “America First Truck Tour.”
“In our opinion, this endorsement was not about issues or policy, it’s about money,“ said Phillip Bryan, spokesman for the Alabama Republican Party.
Smith said her endorsement was not about money.
“I made that endorsement because it was the right thing to do,” Smith said. “I did it because that’s what I believe in.”
Smith denied having any conversations with Bright about money in exchange for an endorsement. When asked if she had any knowledge of a conversation between Harris and Ross about her endorsement, she declined to comment.
“I’m not going to get in the fray,” Smith said. “I’m going to be above that.”
Bright called the allegations “ridiculous” and “libelous”.
“I never as mayor offered anybody any money for anybody’s endorsement and I have never given anybody authority to act on my behalf,” Bright said. “This is exactly what happened in the Republican primary, and it is now happening in this election and people need to vote on Nov. 4 to clean up this type of politics and campaigning. This is desperation politics and smear politics at its worst.”
According to campaign records filed with the Federal Election Commission, Smith finished her 2nd Congressional District campaign with a debt of about $404,000.
Smith becomes the second major Wiregrass Republican to endorse Bright’s campaign. Dothan mayor Pat Thomas announced he would support Bright on Aug. 18.
Smith and Love were involved in a bruising primary race this year, prompting current Congressman Terry Everett, R-Rehobeth, to issue a statement asking both candidates to stop their negative campaign ads.
Speaking in front of Bright supporters Monday morning, Smith said Love lied about her and her record during their Congressional campaign.
“Jay Love lied about my record just to further his own agenda and now he’s lying about Bobby,“ Smith said. “Bobby knows what’s important to the Wiregrass because he’s one of us.“
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Reader Reactions
Juan,
Looks like you are judging someone you probably have never met. If Bobby Bright says he didn’t pay Harri Ann then did no one in his campaign, that is the type of person he is.
I hope you can back the allegations you are casting with your comments. If you know something we don’t I well be glad to retract anytrhing I have said. Please put the proof you are alleging in writing, if not then apolgies for the comments.That would be the ight thing to do.
I HAVE ALREADY VOTED AND I DONT HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT. HOWEVER, IT IS INTERESTING AND DISGUSTING TO SEE THE CHEAP POLITICIAN’S TRICK OF AVOIDING GETTING CAUGHT TAKING MONEY ILLEGALLY BY ALWAYS HAVING A “PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY” PLAN IN PLACE. IN THIS CASE THE CANDIDATE’S SURROGATES MAKE THE ROTTEN ILLEGAL OR IMMORAL DEALS SO THE CANDIDATE CAN ALWAYS SAY; “I DID NOT DO IT AND DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT”. CHEAP POLITICIANS—THEY ALL DO IT.
Amen Get real, when a politico leads off with “in our opinion..“ the translation is “the lie I want you to believe in is…“ A lot of people read this and assumed that Harri Anne Smith admitted to getting money for this. Unlike Jay Love, Mayor Bright has integrity. Go ask him your self if he bought her off. Oh wait, here is his answer since I did ask him…
“...about the Harri Anne endorsement. I absolutely have not paid her or even discussed it with her. I have never and would never buy an endorsement in a race. “
Of course you could ask Jay Love the truth but you will only get a fluffed up answer from some Campaigner. (ML)
the democrats are doing the same thing as well! Love is just mad because HAS would not come out and endorse a liar!! He needs to get over it and the newspaper should have been more fair in its “judging” of her! I belive Hillary’s is being paid off and this is customary. I am a Republican BUT this is one time I will be voting for a Democrat!!
I have known Bobby Bright and his family for many years. His sister was my families neighbor, I had the honor of meeting Mayor Broght’s mother and sisters, he and his brothers worked with my father years ago when they were younger.
Bobby comes from a very Christian family with Christian values, not thinking of himself but those around him. When I called him at the Montgomery’s Mayors office he took my call, thanked me for letting him know his sister had passed. I asked him if he would like to talk a minute that day and we talked of his sister her family and his.
You know whether Harri Ann is endorsing him or not, maybe she knows things about Mr.Love that we don’t. Either that or she is getting smart and telling people it is not a party issue yet this is an oppurtunity to send some one from the district that has lived in differant places with in the district and understands all of the people within the district.
People it is time in America to hang the poitical parties on the shower wall and wash the dirt from them down the drain, please use a harsh soap so that we might kill all the bacteria and filth they have caused.
I am niether Dem or Rep I am an American and shall vote just that way.
In the Presidential race there isn’t much to vote for, a Richard pryor movie comes to mine where he ask everyone to vote for “NONE OF THE ABOVE” yet here in the 2nd district we have a chance to vote for an American not just a party.
Good luck Bobby, and may God bless you.
A politician accepting money for a favor…....ya think…..DUH!!!
I haven’t been under a rock lately, but maybe just maybe Harri Ann did this because, maybe just maybe Mayor Bright is the better person for the job? I haven’t been in this area that long but it seems that Harri Ann has spent some considerable time working for this area at the state level-she had issue to stand up against Country Crossing and backed down when the people in her district told her too. Better than having Locy Baker tell you that you are the only call he has had against the project. Maybe she endorsed him because he isn’t afraid to talk to people, or maybe she is sick and tired of the endless stream of attack mail from Jay Love (4 pieces just last month yet he won’t respond to you in 48 hours like his website says). If she had endorsed Love, you would be saying, “well she is just toting the party line.“ Just more sour grapes from Love thats all.
I am a Republican by the way…voting Bright
Why make a big deal out of this??? She did the same thing that other politicians have done for years. If you don’t think so, then you have lived under a rock for quiet a while!!
Get real, if it’s true, she’s a typical Republican out to get money anywhere they can. Do we really believe another 4 years of Republican rule won’t bankrupt this country?
Seems that Harri Anne is the flip-flopper of the century. We all know that when push comes to shove and the rubber hits the road, the elected person will vote right down party lines..So if Harri Anne believes in the values of the Democrats. then she needs to declare a change of her party affilation and quit talking out of both sides of her mouth. “One can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time”. JLM
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