Graham Hunt resigns
Last month we talked about Graham Hunt, the Washington state legislator who had embellished his military career and posted a stock Associated Press photo that hinted that he had suffered the losses of friends in combat. In a link sent by C B, the Seattle Times crows about his announcement that he is resigning;
The resignation came after Hunt met with Republican leaders Tuesday afternoon amid mounting allegations against him.
House Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen had said last week Hunt needed to clear up his record or resign. In a statement Tuesday, Kristiansen said he supported Hunt’s decision to step down, adding state House Republicans “have high ethical standards and hold each other accountable.”
The Seattle Times first reportedlast month that military records did not back up Hunt’s claims of serving as a “combat veteran” in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that he’d listed three medals on his official biography that the Air Reserve Personnel Center had no record of him receiving.
From Hunt’s resignation letter;
As I have stated before, I have nothing to conceal, nor have I ever deliberately conducted myself in a manner that compromises my integrity or the integrity of this office. However, the recent speculation of impropriety has taken its toll on my family, my colleagues, and the community. The people of the Second District of Washington deserve a full-time representative who can zealously advocate for their objectives without distraction. Under the current circumstances, I no longer feel that I can meet these expectations. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the people of Washington that I relinquish my seat.
Well, whether he intended to tell lies or not, he’s responsible for the stuff that goes on his campaign website. Like I said the other day, if I can’t document stuff about my military career, I just don’t mention it. But, then, there’s nothing I can’t document.
Category: Who knows
Well. . .. bye.
I served in the US Army as a 68H Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairman. Then served in the USAFR as a 2A675 Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Craftsman. And finished my military career as a 3H051 Historian. I seen what I seen and that’s all that I seen. The only thing I truly regard with pride is the Brothers I met, the times we spent together, and our continuing Brotherhood. I don’t get why there has to be lies and embellishment in one’s account of their military career. Be proud of what you did. You took the place of someone that serbed before you or never aerved at all. Much respect to all that served and those who supported us.
These people in the public eye today should be well aware there are no secrets anymore. When I google my own name I see over a hundred thousand hits, mostly due to my work with youth sports in the North East but it’s pretty clear I’m no longer ever going to be able to be anonymous. If someone like me can’t be anonymous any longer, then no one can. Certainly not a sitting state senator.
It almost seems with some of these people that they believe they are truly smarter than the rest of us and consequently sit above the law or above the truth. When they discover the reality is quite different most of them double down on their bullshit. This guy is doing the first right thing, that’s quitting. The second right thing would be an apology for being a liar and a statement he would avoid trying to be as full of shit moving forward, I say try because until he proves it his word isn’t worth shit to anyone from this day forward.
All of our actions have consequences, some intended others not so much but there is no escaping the reality that our actions and choices create our own life reality.
That reality can be like mine, a relatively quiet semi-anonymous life based on the reality of the things I’ve done, or it can be like this guy, a wild roller coaster ride because of the lies. Up one day and down when the lies are revealed…and just like a rollercoaster to get back to the top will be a long slow process if he ever does before the ride ends.
The new God of conscience is otherwise known as the interweb…
It seems to mostly work in one direction at times, but the information is still out there…
Splash. Out.
Good riddance. I ain’t buying that “nor have I ever deliberately conducted myself in a manner that compromises my integrity” claim.
“Speculation of impropriety” my butt.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVrEwCa8nSA?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360%5D
Great, so now Spodofora, Senator Blumenthal, et al, will all be lining up to resign?
Yeah, this is me not holding my breath. One down, way too many to go.
Good.
DONT let the doorknob go up your ass when you shut the door behind you, ‘ BYE!!
Word.
Bye.
His records show a single, six-month rotation to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. A perfectly honorable, if not particularly sexy or exciting career.
He claimed deployments to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar and the UAE. No idea why he’d make up the last two to impress people, they’re both pretty chill deployments, especially for the USAF.
He claims he was combat wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and claims he was involved in some sort of battle in Saudi Arabia. The last thing I can find on hostile Fire in Saudi is the Khobar Towers attack in 1996, so I have no idea what the hell he’s even referring to.
Multiple people came forward and said he claimed to be a Marine (including Marines), did the usual, “no, no, I said I served WITH the Marines” song and dance.
Wears a biker jacket with at least one Army Special Forces patch on it for Veterans’ Rides, did the usual, “no, no I never said I was SF. I wear this to honor them,” song and dance.
Dude… you are sooooo not in the know. If you were part of the secret squirrel brigade you would be well aware of all the many firefights in Saudi Arabia.
Khobar Towers is so yesterday.
BTDT, got the patch.
Could not get the tat because its a secret.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP3at_EkM2PT28K7R630tWx7sCWtzppHGC_eKGX
Worst thing I ever got in Saudi Arabia was a sun burn and a case of the blue balls.
And some serious shits from Mongolian buffet night…
May 29, 2004 Al Qaida attacked a compound in Saydi which had US military training advisors. AF LTC got a bronze star for going to a roof and relaying info on the situation to responding forces. Story at link
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/4162
Thanks for the link.
This was in May 2004, and his records show his deployment to Saudi was December 2002 – June 2003, so this wouldn’t be it, either.
Turd
why is it so hard to have a once of integrity! ! ! !
flush
bye bye turd
His “apology” sound like he’s being remorseful for being caught lying and nothing about his lies, or trying to clear up any “misunderstanding”. Typical politician mentality.
Fuck him and the horse he rode in (and out) on…
Disgraced Republicans resign, disgraced Democrats run for higher office. Republican leadership in Washington takes a dim view of anything that brings disgrace on the party.
They have been known to force members from their offices for ethical breeches. Dems, on the other hand, go on to run for and win higher office. A recent governor ran the Attorney General’s office into the ground and negotiated a Gambling agreement with the Tribes that sold out the citizens and padded her campaign coffers with several million dollars of Tribal donations.
“Alex, I’ll take ‘Bama for five hundred.”
Well, Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) is still in office, even after claiming he has Navy awards that don’t even exist.
But then again, Illinois and Louisiana seem to have a knack for producing the most corrupt politicians possible, left or right.
It seems like the millionth time I read the same or very similar words from a disgraced politician. Bullshit. And how about those “high ethical standards?” Anyone seen them?
“recent speculation of impropriety”
The douche-nugget still won’t admit he’s a lying sack of crap.
“In the best interest of the people of Washington”
I like this website so much because neither Jonn, TSO and other posters don’t brag about their military service.
Jonn investigates each story and tells it like it is. I also like that even when posers apologize for their bad, the stories stay.
I hate reading how the stories have affected their lives, friendships lost, reputations violated and begging to take the story off. YOU SHOULDN’T OF DONE IT…CAN’T DO THE TIME, DON’T DO THE CRIME…
Man he got a lot of slack here, wonder why? News article last week had him claiming he went to Afghanistan in October 2001 for 3-4 weeks and no one called BS since only a few ODAs in country during that time.
http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/records-fail-to-back-some-of-wash-state-lawmaker-s-military-service-claims-1.390454
According to the DD-214 Hunt released, he was mobilized in OCT 2001 with a duty assignment of support for Operation Noble Eagle (Homeland Security) at Sky Harbor IAP, Phoenix, AZ. His Foreign Service was one six-month rotation as a security guard at the since identified “classified location” of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia from DEC 2002 thru JUN 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Uh, I accidentally hit “report comment” instead of reply, moderators. Disregard.
Thanks for the link.
“Last week, he said he’d made a mistake in listing the Iraq medal — mixing it up with a similarly named award he did earn.”
There’s a few medals with similar names, but I can’t even fathom what else sounds like “Iraq Campaign Medal.”