Thursday, July 27, 2006

Mayor Mark Jenkins: Loss of 2004 GC Election Started as 'Personal' Battle, Quickly Turned Political

Originally published by virginiastar.net. (All rights reserved.)
But they don't have it online anymore. Well, it's still available here.


It wasn't political, it was personal. I want to get that straight right off the bat. No matter what you may think or have heard, this is the truth.

I took it very personally when I lost the May 2004 Gate City Election well aware that criminal activities had gone on to control the outcome of the election.

I took it personally when honest people came to me and told me I couldn't do anything about what had happened in the town election because of all the political connections and family relations and all the back scratching that goes on. It seems that those who might be able to correct the situation "owed" those that created or continued in the corrupt election procedures taking place in Scott County. This is what I was told by many good citizens.

I took it personally when Charles Dougherty made the comment that "we had run a good clean race" when I knew only one of us had. I took it personally when I was told by two candidates that I could not get elected because "I didn't know how to vote headstones."

And yes, it would have been in the best interest of a few people if I had dropped this and just "moved on" as Jerry suggested, but this was personal. And also we're talking about everyone's basic right to fair elections.

I took it personally when I called the Registrar's office on May 5, 2004, the day after the town election, and was told I would have to wait until November of 2004 because the Election Board did not meet again until then. Thank you, Les Free, for being there to take the phone from Willie and for providing me the correct information to proceed with the recount and contest of the election. You are an honest man.

I took it personally when people came to me and told me they had actually been threatened harm because they had openly shown support for me in my bid for Mayor.

I took it personally when Charles Dougherty told me I wasn't going to get this thing to go anywhere because he had talked to the Attorney General and it would be stopped.

I took it personally when Tom Keller waived the 40-foot constraint at the polling place and then didn't have the guts to admit it.

I took it personally when I heard people swear under oath that inappropriate, if not illegal, activities never happened and then saw that they most certainly did happen as I watched the DMV surveillance footage.

I took it personally when Jerry Kilgore, while serving as Virginia's Attorney General, publicly made the comment that nothing was intentionally done wrong in the Gate City Election when I knew differently. In my opinion, he was trying to stop any possibility of an investigation into this matter. If I had not continued to push, I believe that is exactly what would have happened. In my opinion, just the unusual high percentage of absentee votes alone would suggest an impropriety to anyone of marginal intelligence.

And yes, it would have been in the best interest of a few people if I had dropped this and just "moved on" as Jerry suggested, but this was personal. And also we're talking about everyone's basic right to fair elections.

I took it so personally that I addressed the grand jury requesting that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate the botched election. By doing so, the court had no choice but to honor the grand jury's request and finally after many months of frustration, Joel Branscom from Botetourt County began an investigation that resulted in Charles Dougherty being indicted on 37 class five felonies. Finally!

I took it very personally when Martha Bledsoe attacked and accused me of signing my name to comments and articles published in the Scott County Virginia Star and elsewhere saying that they were not written by me but by Rex McCarty. I had worked long and hard before submitting these to the newspaper and yes, Martha, I wrote them. And anyone who knows me knows I don't need someone else to speak for me. I have no problem in that area.

I also took it personally when Martha told me that I needed to get out of the Republican Party if I couldn't get behind and support the Kilgores. In effect, I think she told me that there was no longer a true Republican Party in Scott County but that it was now the "Kilgorian Party."

I took it personally when some of the "Kilgorian Party" attacked Republicans, who are close to me and have worked so hard for the true Scott County Republican Party, just because they have tried to help me in my efforts to straighten out the mess I walked into when I was appointed interim Mayor of Gate City.

I took it personally having to fight tooth and nail to keep this thing alive when we have people in elected and appointed positions charged with the responsibility to investigate and prosecute those involved in illegal activities no matter the last name or whose back is being scratched by the guilty parties. At least that's the way it's supposed to work, isn't it?

I took it personally having to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to see to it that everyone didn't just "move on." Again, there are those that I and all the tax payers of Scott County pay to do such things.

I took it personally when I learned that someone having been involuntarily committed to a mental institution was employed in a position that required and allowed them to carry a firearm. That's really scary folks! And then I learned that when the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms) found out about it they sent a gentle warning of "you'd better quit that."

I took it personally when the accusations began about my questioning the legality of the activities of the 2004 Gate City election as being a political attack on the Kilgore boys' mother. I could care less whose mother she is because to me it was the "person" filling the Registrar's position and that was all.

I took it personally when Tom Baker sent the note that I was just a "pawn" and hoped I realized that. No, Tom, I am no one's pawn. That is unless I do so gladly and willingly.

I took it personally when a Judge stopped by my home to tell me that I had better be careful of crossing the Kilgores because they would "grind me up and spit me out like they had done him before he learned to play their game."

I hope that care is taken to find the person's hand that appeared to have scribed so many of the signatures on the ballot requests. I hope that Charles Dougherty is not the scapegoat for all those who are guilty in this matter...

I took it personally when strategic rumors got started that Rick Boucher was funding my whole effort of getting this stirred up for political reasons. As of today I have never even talked to the man. I do hear he is coming to Gate City near the end of the month to assist with technology funding though. I look forward to meeting him - if he is willing to help Gate City.

I take it personally knowing that the criminal actions of those involved in what I feel is an election fraud conspiracy will end up costing us the taxpayers thousands of dollars. I think care should be taken to ensure that all involved are charged and that an attempt is made for full restitution to the good people of Scott County for the cost of the investigation and prosecution.

I take it personally when I see people elected or appointed to positions, having the responsibility to make sure laws are followed to support the working of a free system, abuse the system for their personal gain.

I think "dirty politics" may be construed as getting dismissed from an appointed position and then suing to get the job back that you evidently are not capable of performing. And with back pay!

I am tired of hearing the "political whining" every time something happens that reflects badly on one's political career that is in fact only being used as a personal endeavor.

I am tired of hearing the idiotic cries of a bunch of people who lose touch with what is political and what is personal. Political is not, or at least should not be, for personal gain but should be taking a personal responsibility for those you represent in your political position.

I hope Joel Branscom is not finished with the indictments of the crimes committed in the May 2004 Gate City election. I appreciate the good work Jeff Lewis and Mr. Branscom have done to date. The evidence I have seen proves Charles Dougherty was not the only one involved. I hope Mr. Branscom will look again at the depositions that were taken last fall and again compare it to events that were captured by the DMV surveillance cameras and the findings from Jeff Lewis' investigation and that charges will be filed accordingly which may include perjury charges. I hope that care is taken to find the person's hand that appeared to have scribed so many of the signatures on the ballot requests. I hope that Charles Dougherty is not the scapegoat for all those who are guilty in this matter.

I hope now that there is hard evidence of blatant abuse of the voting system in our county that the electoral board will be diligent in ensuring that proper voting procedures as mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia are followed. And I trust that they will no longer trust anyone who was involved in the past elections in this county. It is vital to this county that they get to the root of the problem. I like the suggestion the Kingsport Times News made to secure an independent auditor. I hope they will strongly consider this possibility and act on it. How else are the citizens of Scott County ever going to feel that their vote really counts?

I hope the absentee ballot applications I gave to Jeff Lewis from the recent Scott County Primary will be acted upon. In my opinion these few applications prove without a shadow of a doubt that no amount of training will correct the blatant errors of the Registrar's office. By the way, I don't believe Charles Dougherty was involved in this matter.

I took it personally… but it turned political.