Lewis & Clark smacks down Oregonians in Action: “Fraud against the voters”!
October 24th, 2007
This is big! Will the press actually cover this huge issue? (Lewis & Clark has now issued THREE press releases on this explosive issue, and I don’t believe The Oregonian, or any other major paper, has mentioned anything about it.)
“Fraud against the voters”. “Mislead voters”. “Misuse the school’s good name for a partisan political purpose.” These are strong words used by the Dean of Lewis & Clark Law School in regards to Oregonians In Action and their despicable anti Measure 49 campaign.
For those folks just stumbling upon this, it’s important to recognize that the opposition to Measure 49 has repeatedly relied on tricks and disinformation. This is not the first time they have employed rotten campaign techniques like this. From spam test messages, to false mailings, to ads falsely stating that your house can be taken. Please vote yes on Measure 49 and don’t be swayed by their tactics. They are not an honest broker. You cannot trust their arguments. If the dean of a seminal Oregon law school uses the words “fraud against the voters”, you can be sure that those folks are pretty lowdown.
Law dean calls on anti-Measure 49 group to correct misuse of school name
Posted October 24, 2007
(Portland, Ore.)—Robert Klonoff, dean of Lewis & Clark Law School, today demanded that the anti-Measure 49 group Oregonians in Action take measures to correct the misimpression that the group’s recent statewide mailing came from the law school.
The demand was made in a formal letter to David Hunnicutt, president of Oregonians in Action, from the college’s general counsel, David Ellis. A copy of the letter was sent to the Election Division of the office of the Oregon Secretary of State.
The organization’s mailing, sent to many thousands of Oregon voters, was signed by former Lewis & Clark law dean and current professor James Huffman. The envelope used Huffman’s and the law school’s name on the return address, giving the impression that it was a mailing from the law school and that Huffman’s anti-49 message represented the official position of the school.
Klonoff demanded that Oregonians in Action send a letter of correction to all households that received the previous mailing and clarify that the anti-49 message did not represent any official position of Lewis & Clark.
“Oregonians in Action at no time sought my authorization to use the Lewis & Clark name on the envelopes for their mailing,” Klonoff said. “Nor did they seek the authorization of the college’s president, general counsel, or any other current member of the administration with authority to bind the college. Lewis & Clark Law School had no knowledge of any such mailing and did not learn of it, and Professor Huffman’s involvement with it, until concerned constituents began to contact us after receiving it in the mail.”
Judging from the large number of voters who have contacted the law school to express their concerns, Klonoff said it is clear that Oregonians in Action has given the impression that the letter was an official mailing from Lewis & Clark. “It’s disappointing that Oregonians in Action would misuse the school’s good name for a partisan political purpose, in what many of our concerned constituents regard as fraud against the voters,” Klonoff said.
“In the spirit of academic freedom and our commitment to sound jurisprudence, Lewis & Clark Law School upholds the right of our faculty members to engage in political debates no matter their stance on a particular issue,” Klonoff added. “However, as an academic institution we do not take official positions on ballot measures or any other political issue. Rather, it is our mission to educate lawyers and citizens who can enter such debates with critical thinking, a sound legal foundation, and a commitment to healthy public discourse.
“Fair debate requires that all participants represent their ideas with integrity and sincerity. The misuse of our name by Oregonians in Action violates that fundamental principle. It is deeply troublesome that the group would mislead voters in an attempt to garner support on this controversial issue. They must correct the record immediately.”
Someone tell The Oregonian about this! They are likely to learn about it in 2 weeks when it is too late! (Seriously, someone write to them… they really won’t know about this until several days later. I’ve already pestered them enough recently.)
Related posts: Measure 49: Who's winning the Internet war?, Measure 49 and responsible journalism, Oregonians In Action and campaign finance regulations
4 Comments Add your own
1. john | October 24th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Email Robert Klonoff with your support: klonoff@lclark.edu
Or email Dave Hunnicutt for his apology to Oregon voters: Dave@oia.org
2. john | October 25th, 2007 at 8:14 am
EXIT Plan — STAGE RIGHT for Lewis & Clark’s former law school dean James Huffman??
He’s hopped on the Mitt Romney bus for Massachusetts — but with a cloud instead of a crown over his head?
3. Chuck Sheketoff | October 25th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Lewis and Clark’s real problem is that Huffman regularly uses is title “Former Dean” and the good name of the school in advocacy for Oregonians in Action. Last fall he even went so far as to put the school’s name behind his advocacy for a judicial candidate.
Getting a retraction from OIA would be nice, but that won’t solve the problem that Huffman uses his L&C credentials freely on behalf of OIA. The dean has done nothing to stop that.
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