Dear Editor,
Brad Toft has requested a response from me about Cheryl Pflug endorsing me in this race, and Brad's accusations of a "conspiracy theory." The "conspiracy theory" question is the same one Brad asked me at the Snoqualmie Chamber Debate last week, which I answered in a room full of people. Even though Brad was sitting next to me, I will repeat that answer again.
There was no "conspiracy." I found out about Cheryl getting appointed to the Growth Management Hearings Board on May 21st, the same day everybody else found out. Let me repeat that a second time to be absolutely clear. There was no conspiracy, I found out about Cheryl Pflug getting appointed to the Growth Management Hearings Board on May 21st, the same day as everybody else. These conspiracy accusations are 11th-hour campaign distractions.
My life history of honesty and integrity dates back to my childhood while growing up in Tukwila. I employee 45 people at Zeeks Pizza and Ben and Jerry's, and every employee will testify that I'm honest and always give them a straight answer. I have been on the Issaquah City Council since 2009, and every public official who has worked with me will testify that I have the highest possible moral standards and am always straightforward with voters. Every business who has dealt with me through Zeeks, Ben and Jerry's, or my City Council position, will also testify that I always tell the truth.
I am proud to receive the endorsement of Cheryl Pflug. She has a 13 year history of serving the 5th District with honesty. When Marriage Equality was up for a vote in January, Cheryl voted with the constituents in her district by supporting this legislation, even though the "party powers" told her to do otherwise. It is this streak of independence that made Cheryl a qualified elected official, and I'm proud to receive the endorsement of somebody who has represented this district by telling the truth for over the past decade.
This brings us to the most recent mailer sent out by Brad, where he decides to tell voters "The Truth" about his history.
1) Mailer Claim: The so called "court" cases are from traffic citations Brad received as a teenager 20 years ago. The years of the court cases are 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2009. That means that none of these court cases occured when Brad was a teenager. The first occurred when he was 21 years old.
2) Mailer claim: Brad has never been cited for giving false information to a police officer. In May of 1997 Brad was charged with giving false information to a police officer, which he plea bargained down to a lesser charge.
3) Mailer claim: Small business owners are named in frivolous claims all the time and Brad was protecting his right to know the nature of the claim: This was not an attempt to know the nature of a claim, this was an attempt to have a record sealed from the voters. The proof that Brad was claiming it was a different Brad Toft can be found in how the judge ruled on the claim, with Judge Nault stating that Brad was claiming a "different" Brad Toft had committed this violation.
4) Mailer claim: Mark Mullet was part of a million dollar conspiracy with Governor Gregoire to get a Senate Seat. As the start of this letter indicates, this rumor is completely false.
What I find most interesting about claim #4 is that Brad Toft is the person who benefitted the most from Cheryl Pflug withdrawing from the race. I was the only Democrat running for this seat, so I would be knocking on doors all over the district regardless of whether I was running against Cheryl or Brad. I would still be receiving mail against me from independent groups, and I would be in the same fight I'm in now to try and get elected.
Brad on the other hand would not have been campaigning past the primary date on August 7th. Instead, Brad has been the beneficiary of $500,000 in campaign spending to try and get him elected to the State Senate. Brad would never have received this kind of financial support if Cheryl Pflug had remained in this race.
Cheryl endorsed me in this campaign because I have a history of honesty, and Brad Toft has a history of not telling the truth. Similar to Cheryl's vote for Marriage Equality, she is doing what she knows is best for the district, not what the party hierarchy wants her to do.
My goal in Olympia is to bring the same sense of fiscal responsiblity I bring to the Issaquah City Council. I also want to bring the same mindset of working with Republicans and Democrats to solve problems. You have my word that I will do both if elected, I ask for your vote.
Best Regards,
Mark Mullet
*Editor's note: This letter was sent to us by Mark Mullet in response to a published on this site Oct. 25.
