State Sen. Nancy Jacobs accused Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of “intentionally misleading” voters by mentioning her name in a statement of support for his candidacy.
The Sept. 4 e-mailfrom Gilchrest?s office reads, “Jeff Griffin, former chief of staff to State Sen. Nancy Jacobs, is serving as the campaign?s regional coordinator.”
The statement includes a plethora of what it calls Harford endorsements, including County Executive David Craig and Del. Barry Glassman, R-District 35A.
It uses Jacobs? name to gain more voters for Gilchrest, R-District 1, she claims.
“At no time has Sen. Jacobs given permission to associate or use her name in conjunction with the Gilchrest campaign,” Jacobs said in a statement. “I have always considered Mr. Gilchrest a friend, and it saddens me to see my trust in him and the trust of voters betrayed for political purposes.”
And although former Harford County Executive Jim Harkins has not endorsed any candidate and hasn?t even heard from the Gilchrest campaign, he is listed among the endorsements.
Jacobs, R-District 34, is endorsing Del. Andrew Harris, R-District 7, for Gilchrest?s seat in Congress.
Gilchrest?s spokesman, Tony Caligiuri, said he was baffled by Jacobs? request for a public apology and called her accusations outrageous.
Jacobs worked well with Gilchrest in the past and even had him speak at her annual fundraiser last year, Caligiuri said.
“To go to this absurd length to try and cleanse yourself of any relation, when you had him speak at your annual fundraiser last year, is just an oddly bizarre action from a panicked legislator,” he said. “Every single thing in the release down to the punctuation is 100 percent accurate.”
Jacobs? name was used only to identify Griffin, similar to the way Craig?s title of county executive is used, he said.
“It?s absurd to think that you can control someone for the rest of their life,” Caligiuri added.
