GOP Accuses Dykema of Accepting Corporate Campaign Contributions
The Republican Party has filed a complaint against Caroyln Dykema saying that she used corporate donations for her re-election campaign.
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Yesterday the Massachusetts GOP filed a complaint with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance accusing Rep. Dykema (D-Holliston) of accepting corporate backing for her campaign.
According to a letter from Nate Little, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Dykema solicited donations from local business for a raffle at her Senior Picnic last month.
"At the picnic, Rep. Dykema conducted a raffle in which prizes were given out to benefit her candidacy. These prizes were donated by four corporations. These gifts are listed in Rep. Dykema’s campaign sponsored newsletter," the letter said.
The gifts are listed as being from Bird in Hand, LLC Red Barn Coffee Roasters, Inc. Colella’s Super Market, Inc. and Fiske’s General Store, Inc. All four of them in the form of gift certificates.
In a release from Dykema's campaign, she said the picnic was not a campaign event but a regular way of giving back to the community.
"I'm a firm believer in keeping corporate money out of politics. I was proud to support the House resolution denouncing the Citizens United decision, and I have always refused campaign donations from corporate political action committees (PACs). But that shouldn't mean we can't partner with our local businesses to promote a common goal -- in this case, supporting our local seniors," she said.
The senior picnic is something Dykema said she and her predecessors from both parties have done for two decades and she said she was upset that it was being turned in to a political issue.
"I was surprised and saddened to see my opponent's GOP surrogates attack this long-standing, bi-partisan community tradition yesterday," she said in the release.
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The Bird in Hand
763 Washington St, Holliston, MA -
Colella's Supermarket
61 Main St, Hopkinton, MA -
Fiske's General Store
776 Washington St, Holliston, MA
Karen Adamson
4:07 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Dykema is breaking campaign laws. Awful. She tries to dodge and waffle her way out of this by blaming others for her wrong actions. No one has attacked the event. It is the way she illegally funded the prizes.
Also very bad which shows this was her campaign arranging this, her campaign material was being passed out and her campaign people were there and wearing their campaign shirts. I have seen the photos in the news. How blatant.
It's very distressing that she would break the law to try and gain an unfair advantage. She has the Beacon Hill disease. The cure for that is a new legislator to replace her.
James Kennedy
12:13 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
Instead of apologizing for cheating, she says this is not an issue. As an office holder, it most certainly is an issue. Who does Rep Dykema thinks she is fooling ? Does she think she is above the law ? She took corporate contributions to boost her election efforts. That's against the law.
This was a campaign event. Her campaign literature was distributed to people who attended. It has her committee paying for it. You can't mix the two. She's breaking the law, trying to divert attention, change the subject, spread disinformation, and blame everybody except her.
Her inner circle is in a perpetual state of denial, distraction, change the subject and play a very poor blame game.
Such desperation.
Gina Sabin
11:37 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
Why did she turn down Lamb's clean campaign pledge? That would have banned the money she is complaining about with Citizens United. I guess this is more of do as I say, not as I do.
Disappointing Carolyn. Worse yet is her attempt to blame others for her mistakes.
She should take responsibility for illegally trying to buy senior votes.
Kelly Roney
12:08 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Watch what people do, rather than what they say.
Carolyn Dykema has a proven history of running clean, issue-oriented campaigns about our shared path to the best possible future.
Marty Lamb ran a campaign in 2010 notable for its gimmickry, pettiness, and anger.
In 2012, in the face of Lamb's continual attacks and smears - starting with an attack on the car she drives, if you can imagine something that petty - Carolyn has remained resolutely issue-oriented and respectful of voters.
There's one candidate in this race who's committed to serving the district community: Carolyn Dykema. She's listens and acts for practical, constructive solutions.
We know this because we know her, which is why Marty Lamb's ridiculous manufactured fake controversies don't stick. They will, however, keep coming. We know this, too, based on what he has done.
Kelly Roney
11:37 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
How many aliases is Desiree Awiszio permitted to comment under? I guess the Patch can't police all her Yahoo and Gmail accounts to trace them back to one person. Anyhow, both "Karen" and "James" are actually Marty Lamb's campaign manager - or they're parroting Desiree's message.
Here's the truth: It wasn't campaign literature. It was a constituent newsletter that didn't ask for support.
I suppose James/Desiree Awiszio thinks Carolyn's committee's sponsorship of Southborough Summer Nights or of a softball team in the Kampersal/ALS benefit tournament make them political events. Of course they aren't.
Here's what a constructive (that is, non-Tea Party) Republican has to say about Marty Lamb's smear campaign:
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1526497188/GOP-complaint-against-Dykema-is-unfair-former-opponent-says
Read more: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1526496324/GOP-filed-complaint-against-Holliston-Democrat-Dykema
Pretty obvious who's actually desperate.