The Everett School District has launched a second investigation into Democrat candidate for state representative Mike Wilson. As SHIFT reported yesterday, Wilson’s campaign fell under scrutiny when news broke that 44th Legislative District Democrat actively used his position as a high school cross country coach to recruit students to volunteer for his campaign.
Wilson, who is also a teacher at the high school where he coaches, and his coaching buddies at other district high schools asked students to canvass their neighborhoods during a practice last week. Students were sent home with doorbelling packets complete with home addresses, maps and a script. After complaints from parents, the Everett School District launched an investigation into the incident.
As previously reported, last week’s cross country practice debacle was not the first time Wilson engaged in completely inappropriate campaign tactics. The Everett Herald points out that “State law bars public employees from using public resources, including computers and printers, for campaign activity.” But, that didn’t keep Wilson from doing just that.
A public records request for Wilson’s emails revealed that the Democrat is using public resources to benefit his campaign. During school hours, Wilson used his school email account and school scanner for campaign business. Additionally, email correspondences between Wilson and other staff and students proves he used school resources for his campaign.
The Everett School District ordered the second investigation after learning of the emails proving Wilson used his work computer and other school resources to benefit his campaign. In a preemptive attempt to downplay the facts, Wilson told the Everett Herald that he “might have inadvertently replied to one or two campaign-related emails on his work computer in the initial weeks of his campaign.” Meanwhile, Wilson’s campaign consultant—WinPower strategies—stated, “We know that the school district will find a couple of mistakes at the beginning of the campaign, which we corrected.”
Considering the fact that the latest example of corruption in the campaign occurred just last week, it’s difficult to believe WinPower did all that much to correct Wilson. If winning means breaking campaign laws, it is clear Democrats are more than willing to deal with the consequences later.
Wilson is locked in a tight race. He lost the August primary to Republican Mark Harmsworth—a two term member of the Mill Creek City Council and Mayor Pro-Tem by nearly 4% of the vote.
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