Another Politician Accused of Stolen Valor
A politician has lost the endorsement of an editorial board over allegations that he fabricated some aspects of his and his father’s military background.
Clyde Shavers, a Democratic candidate for the Washington state legislature, had his endorsement pulled by the Everett Herald Editorial Board and they threw their support behind his incumbent opponent – Republican Rep. Greg Gilday – after it was revealed that Shavers, the challenger, allegedly fabricated parts of his military record and lied about being a lawyer.
This story is just breaking so we don’t have all the detail of Shavers’ military service to help confirm or deny, but it appears that many folks felt confident that he took some liberty with the facts – enough to pull their endorsement.
According to the article, Clyde Shavers was called out by his very own father…
“The things he’s saying are not accurate, if not misleading. He’s saying he’s the son of a marine, son of a police officer, son of an immigrant, so it’s if he’s using our credibility to validate his statements.”
Nov 2, 2022
The Everett Herald Editorial Board yanked their endorsement of Democratic candidate for the Washington legislature, Clyde Shavers, and threw their support behind his incumbent opponent Republican Rep. Greg Gilday, after it was revealed that the challenger fabricated parts of his military record and lied about being a lawyer.
In a statement to The Post Millennial, Washington State House Minority Leader JT Wilcox said, “House Democrats and allies have spent more than $800k (reported) on Clyde Shavers (10th LD) behalf and when final numbers are reported it will likely go over $1M. He worked for the WA Democratic Party and he has been widely touted by WA House Democrats, especially by Dave Paul” another Democratic member of the legislature.
The Herald’s Editorial Board said in an article revoking their endorsement of Shavers and endorsing his opponent, “Regarding the misrepresentations, Shavers indicated on a state Public Disclosure Commission form and in campaign literature that he works as an attorney; however, Shavers, while he has graduated law school and has worked for a law firm, has not passed the Washington state bar exam, a qualification that the editorial board believes is necessary to make that claim.”
“Shavers also made statements to the editorial board and in campaign literature that he had served aboard a submarine while in the Navy, before transferring to a public affairs office; however, while he completed some training for submarine certification, he switched to public affairs.”
“Because of these misrepresentations, and the questions they raise regarding Shavers’ integrity, the editorial board must rescind its recommendation that voters support Shavers for the state Legislature. Candidates for public office, because of the trust that is required to represent the interests of the residents of one’s district and the state, must be held to a high standard regarding the veracity of their record and their positions. Shavers has violated that trust.”
Wilcox added, “It was all based on a series of lies that were exposed by an anguished father who couldn’t bear to see the lies stand.”
Kudos to Dad, but things are bound to be uncomfortable around the Thanksgiving table.
Many of the claims are still on Clyde Shavers’ campaign site, so you may want to read them for yourself before they change or are taken down.
Category: Politics, Stolen Valor
