School Board Candidates Squabble Over Illegal Flyer

District 3 Board of Education candidate Karen Smith is blasting At-Large Board of Education candidate Lisa Lloyd for distributing a flyer that misrepresents her positions. And because the flyer lacks an authority line, it’s illegal to boot!

Here’s the flyer from Lloyd, which lists six campaign positions and urges voters to support her and three other candidates, one of whom is Smith.


Note the lack of authority line on the flyer, which is required by state election law.

Upon seeing the flyer, Smith fired off this email to Lloyd and the other school board candidates.

From: Karen Smith [mailto:karen@karensmith4boe.org]
Sent: Wed 10/20/2010 11:25 PM
To: citizensforlloyd@gmail.com
Cc: [Other school board candidates]
Subject: Unauthorized flyer

Ms. Lloyd:

It was brought to my attention tonight that you are distributing a flyer with my name on it that purports to represent me as having signed on to your platform in your race for the Board of Education.

I am writing to tell you to immediately stop distribution of this flyer as it seriously misrepresents my positions in this campaign. You did not consult me about this flyer, and if you had, I would have told you unequivocally and in no uncertain terms that you were NOT to put my name on it.

You will also attempt to retrieve any flyers that have already been distributed, or are in line to be distributed by other organizations on your behalf.

Please do me the courtesy of acknowledging your receipt of this message and informing me of your plan of action to correct this.

Karen Smith

Candidate for the Board of Education, District 3
Montgomery County Public Schools

No word yet on whether Lloyd has corrected the flyer, or has chosen to obey the law.

The dispute may not matter very much. Incumbents Pat O’Neil and Shirley Brandman, who are running against Smith and Lloyd respectively, have been endorsed by the Washington Post and MCEA. But what this squabble lacks in profundity, it certainly makes up for in sheer entertainment value!