CLEAN ELECTIONS IN CARY


The News & Observer and The Cary News in two recent articles revealed that the author of the hoax DHH website and copycat email was Don Hyatt, editor of CaryPolitics. 

www.newsobserver.com/politics/local/story/281529.html

www.carynews.com/front/story/15530.html

Our response is:

DavisandHighHouse.org thanks reports at The Cary News and The News & OBserver for identifying Don Hyatt as the person supporting Jennifer Robinson with the fake DavisandHighHouse website as well as the fake and misleading emails sent the day before the November 3, 2009 runoff election ("Clean Election Advocate Resigns").  We believe this could have affected the outcome of such a close election. 

We are shocked at both Don Hyatt's statement that is was "unethical...  but I did it anyway...  I'm not happy that I got caught" and Jennifer Robinson's condoning comments that "I thought it was humorous". 

We believe this kind of behavior is destructive to the entire community, that it subverts the public conversation and undermines the election process.  If Don Hyatt had used paper mail, rather than email, to send out fake DavisandHighHouse.org electioneering communications, it would have been a criminal violation of state law. 

With all of the issues facing Cary and the surrounding area, we believe the public conversation at election time needed to be about the issues of managing growth, traffic, roads, water, schools and infrastructure.  Instead, this election was pulled into the mud with attacks on citizens and dirty tricks.  This election is forever tainted. 

The real DavisandHighHouse.org website (please note it is .org) from October 2009 provided voters with an endorsement of the candidate believed to provide the strongest leadership skills, integrity and commitment to representing citizens.  It also provided factual data from the Board of Elections showing contributions to Jennifer Robinson's previous campaign.  DavisandHighHouse.org clearly labeled their research in those instances where they believed a contributor had an interest in the real estate and/or development business. 

Jennifer Robinson is required by state law to report all 2009 campaign contributions by January 31, 2010.  DavisandHighHouse.org will copy that information and post it on our website for all Cary citizens to review. 

DavisandHighHouse.org has already contacted representatives in the North Carolina State Legislature requesting, as a high priority, extensions or changes to current state law so that electronic political communications are subject to the same standards as printed electioneering materials.  We believe it is important to all of us to hold the election process in Cary to the highest possible standards. 

DavisandHighHouse.org is made up of Democratic, Republican and Unaffiliated residents of Cary who are trying to have a voice in municipal government.  We always have, and will continue, to operate ethically and in support of our clearly stated mission. 

The mission of DavisandHighHouse.org is to preserve neighborhood quality of life with development density appropriate to our residential communities.  DavisandHighHouse.org continues to serve as a voice for individual citizens, as a focal point for community action, and will encourage voters to support candidates who are committed to a balanced approach to growth. 


Election advocates have stated loopholes in the Campaign Finance Law for electronic communication need to be fixed.  If you wish to comment on this issue, you may contact your district's State Senator or Representative in the General Assembly, the Campaign reporting section of the State Board of Elections at campaign.reporting@ncsbe.gov or Cary Town Council at council@townofcary.org.

We will wait for the State Board of Elections' investigation review to be completed, but will continue to advocate for changes in the Campaign Finance Laws to include electronic media and communications.