Sessions campaign to apologize for mis-used photo

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Police chief cries foul on card

Sessions campaign to apologize for photo seen as an endorsement

03:50 PM CDT on Saturday, October 23, 2004

By WENDY HUNDLEY / The Dallas Morning News

Many Richardson residents opened up their mailboxes this week to find a postcard showing several City Council members endorsing Pete Sessions in the race for Texas' 32nd Congressional District. Gary Slagel, John Murphy, Tom Rohm and Bob Nusser are all smiles as they stand with the candidate under a caption that reads: "Our Richardson city leaders' choice for U.S. Congress is Pete Sessions!"

At least one city official isn't smiling about the postcard.

"I do not endorse candidates," said Richardson Police Chief Larry Zacharias, who is seen in a separate photograph on the postcard and is identified by name and title.

Although neither the city nor the state prohibits City Council members from endorsing candidates, Chief Zacharias said that type of political involvement violates Police Department rules.

"I realize, that as an appointed public official, that I have little control over pictures taken of me at public events," Chief Zacharias wrote last week in a letter to Mr. Sessions. "However, your campaign's use of my name and title for political advertising is unacceptable to me."

Chris Homan, Mr. Sessions' campaign manager, said a letter of apology would be sent to the police chief. He said the campaign was unaware that use of the picture violated police rules.

Chief Zacharias said the photograph was taken with Mr. Sessions at a National Night Out neighborhood party and that he did not give permission to the Sessions campaign to use it.

He said he didn't know anything about the postcard until Tuesday, when an employee brought it to his attention. He said some people could construe inclusion of his picture as a political endorsement.

"Never has my picture appeared in a political endorsement," Chief Zacharias said. "You've never seen a sign in my yard. I have strict personal and professional policies in that respect."

About 10,000 postcards were sent to Richardson residents and the campaign has no plans for another mailing, Mr. Homan said.

Similar postcards, featuring photographs of some Irving and Addison council members, were sent to residents in those cities, he said.

The city of Richardson has no prohibitions against City Council members endorsing candidates, City Manager Bill Keffler said. "It was their choice to participate in this endorsement," he said.

The Texas Ethics Commission does not forbid elected officials from making political endorsements as long as they do it on their own time and don't use any city resources.

While Mr. Slagel and three other council members are shown in the photograph, it contains the signatures of two others – Bob Townsend and Jim Shepherd. Carol Wilson is the only one of the seven-member council who is not represented on the postcard.

Ms. Wilson said she was not contacted by the Sessions campaign to participate in the mailing and, as a council member, does not make political endorsements.

"The council is elected as a nonpartisan group. I don't feel it's appropriate to endorse candidates," she said. "We have to work with whomever wins. It's more appropriate for the council to remain independent."

Mr. Slagel said Richardson council members generally don't get involved in local, county or state political races. "Those are people we work with very closely," he said. "Since this was a national race, this wasn't as sensitive."

He said he decided to endorse Mr. Sessions because "he's a friend and somebody who has been very supportive of Richardson."

[taken from: DallasNews]