TYlen D. SMIT'H, P.(..

ArronNEY Rr L^P*w

OregonSecretaryof S,tate 28,2008

October
ElectionsDivision
255 CapitolStreetNF,.Suite501
Salem.Oreson97310

RE: - BrentWilliam Barlon

ElectionLaw Violation(ORS251.085and260.532)

SecretaryBradbury:

This letterconstitutesa formal complaintagainstMr. BrentWilliam Barton.a candidatefor the

OregonHouseof Reprresentatives. HouseDistrict 51. For the reasonsthat follow. it appearsMr.
Bartonhasviolatedone or more Oregonelectionlaws.

Attachedpleasefind a recentcopy of Mr. Barton'scampaignwebsite. On his website.Mr.

Bartonclaims:

"While in law school,Brent workedas a criminalprosecutor,giving him a unique

understanding; posedby drug abuseand drunk driving."
of the public safetychallenges

Mr.
Mr. Bartonclaimsto havebeena prosecutorfor the commonwealthof Massachusetts.
Barlonhasalsomadethis claim twice at a North ClackamasChamberof Commercemeeting,in
and in a ClackamasReviewArticle.
his ProjectVoteSmartQuestionnaire,

It hascometo our attentionthat Mr. Bartonwas nevera "criminal prosecutor"while in law

school. Ratheras a part of a classproject,Mr. Barlonwas assignedto a prosecutor'soffice but
Mr. Bartonneveractuallyprosecuteda singlecriminal.

Evenif Mr. Bartonis telling the truth andhe was at onetime a "criminal prosecutor".or this
''criminalprosecutor", Mr. Bartonis thenin violationof ORS 251.085and
countsasbeinga
O R S2 6 0 . 5 3 2F. i r s t , O R S 2 5 l . 0 s 5 r e q u i r e s a c a n d i d a t e f o r p u b l i c o f f i c e t o l i s t h i s o r h e r p r i o r
occupational background.If Mr. Bartononce"worked" as a "criminal prosecutor",then Mr.
Bartonmust list that informationon his voter'spamphletstatement.Mr. Barton'sdid not list this
allegedoccupationwhich itself would thenbe a violation.

Second.ORS251.085alsorequiresa candidate for publicofficeto list his or her prior

governmental experiencein his voter'spamphletstatement.Mr. Bartonlists his prior
governmental experienceas "None". Working as a government"criminal prosecutor"qualifies
experience.However,Mr. Bartonfails to list his tenureas a "criminal
asprior go\/ernffrental
prosecutor"in the "prior governmentalexperience"sectionof his voters'pamphletstatement.

1 8 1 N G r a n tS t ,S T E2 1 2 Page1
C a n b vO . R97013
( - 503)266- 55 e 0
it his (i ri b c a b l e .n
l- ) ler S r n et
O S B =0752. 8 7
TYlen D. Sutrn, P.q.
ArronNEY er Lnw

The omissionof this informationfrom Mr. Barton'svoters'pamphletstatementis obviously

misleadingand is ver;rlikely to confusevotersinto thinkingMr. Bartonhas"unique
understanding of the public safetychallenges".If Mr. Bartondoeshavethis backgroundit
shouldhavebeenlisted given that other candidatesfor staterepresentativehave listed their
experience as a "criminal prosecutor"in their voters'pamphlet SeeStatementof Phil
statement.
Barnhart(listing tenureas Deputy District Attorney as "prior governmentalexperience");
Statement of Bernt "l l" Hansen(listingtenureas DeputyDistrict Attorneyas "occupational
background").

The omissiol by Mr. Bartonof this informationfrom his voterspamphletleadsto oneto

concludethat either(a) Mr. Bartonis lying on his websitethat he was oncea "criminal
prosecutor",in violati.onof ORS 260.532;or (b) Mr. Bartonis lying by omissionon his voters
pamphletstatementby failing to includehis allegedemploymentas a "criminal prosecutor",in
violationof bothORI] 251.085andORS260.532.

Eitherway, it is clearthat Mr. Barton hasmadefundamentalmisrepresentations abouthis

to
qualificationsfor this public office in a deliberateattempt "pad" his resume.

Division immediately
Giventhe impendingelection,I respectfullyrequestthat the E,lections
Mr. Bartonfor his clearviolationof Oregonelectionslalv.
and prose,oute
investigate

RespectfullySubmitted,

h,_;r/
Tyler Smith

E nc [ :Cop] 'of M r. B a fto n ' sc a m p a i g nw e b s i te :

CC:client.

1 B 1N G r a n tS t .S T E2 L 2 Page2
C a n b 1O,,R 97013
( 503)266- 55 9 0
T ) ler S mit his @ u ,b c al e
b ,rre t
osB#075287
BRENT BARTON fOTST.ATEREPRESENTATIVE Page1 of2

ffiT##fi{prys
K
H o m e p a g e A b o u tB r e n t I s s u e s E n d o r s e m e n t s D o n a t e!

Brent's Story
O r egon Nat iv e

B r e n t B a r t o n i s a t h i r d - g e n e r a t i o nO r e g o n i a n ,B r e n t ' sf a h e r
w e n t t o s c h o o li n E s t a c a d a ,w h e r e B r e n t ' sg r a n d f a t h e rw o r k e d
a s a l o g g e r . B r e n t a t t e n c l e dO r e g o n p u b l i cs c h o o l sa n d w e n t
o n t o e a r n b o t h h i s b a c h e l o r ' sa n d m a s t e r ' sd e g r e e sa t
S t a n f o r dU n i v e r s i t y .W h i l e i n c o l l e g e ,B r e n t w o r k e d f o r f o r m e r
C l a c k a m a sC o u n t y C o m r n i s s i o n e rC , o n g r e s s w o m a nD a r l e n e
H o o l e y .A f t e r c o l l e g e ,B r e n t s t u d i e d p o l i t i c sa t C a m b r i d g e
U n i v e r s i t yb e f o r eg r a d u a t i n gf r o m H a r v a r d L a w S c h o o l .

W h i l e i n l a w s c h o o l ,B r e n t w o r k e d a s a c r i m i n a lp r o s e c u t o r ,
g i v i n g h i m a u n i q u e u n d , 3 r s t a n d i nogf t h e p u b l i cs a f e t y
c h a l l e n g e sp o s e d b y d r u g a b u s e a n d d r u n k d r i v i n g . B r e n t w i l l
b e o n e o f o n l y a h a n d f u lo f l e g i s l a t o r sw i t h p u b l i cs a f e t y
e x p e r i e n c e ,m a k i n g h i m a n a t u r a l l e a d e r i n c o m b a t i n gt h e
Meth crisis,

B r e n t r e t u r n e dh o m e t o O r e g o n a f t e r l a w s c h o o lt o w o r k w i t h
m a n y c o m m u n i t yl e a d e r si n C l a c k a m a sC o u n t y a n d a r o u n d
Contact Brent:
t h e s t a t e i n 2 0 0 6 t o b u i l r ls u p p o f t f o r G o v e r n o rK u l o n g o s k i ' s
b r en t @ v o t eb r en t b ar t o n .c o m
e f f o r t st o m a k e n e w i n v e s t m e n t si n s c h o o l sa n d r o a d s , m o r e
a f f o r d a b l eh e a l t h c a r e , a n d a R a i n y D a y F u n d .

Pr oblem S olv e r

B r e n t i s a l a w y e r w h o s F r e c i a l i z ei n s complexbusiness
p r o b l e m sa n d d i s p u t e r e s o l u t i o n . B r e n t u n d e r s t a n d st h e
n e e d s o f O r e g o n ' sb u s i n e s s e sb, o t h s m a l l a n d l a r g e , a n d t h e
n e c e s s i t yo f c r e a t i n gm o r e j o b s i n o u r s t a t e . B r e n t h a s a
s t r o n g r e c o r do f t a c k l i n gt o u g h b u s i n e s sp r o b l e m sb y
n e g o t i a t i n gw i t h t h e o t h e r s i d e t o a c h i e v ec r e a t i v e ,w o r k a b l e
s o l u t i o n s . A s a l a w y e r , l 3 r e n tk n o w s t h a t n e g o t i a t i o n ,n o t
e x p e n s i v el i t i g a t i o n ,i s u s u a l l yt h e b e s t a n s w e r f o r h i s c l i e n t
a n d t h e c o m m u n i t y . B r r : n tw i l l b r i n g t h i s p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g
a p p r o a c ht o t h e p a r t i s a r rg r i d l o c ko f S a l e m .

Community Leader

B r e n t b e l i e v e se v e r y O r e g o n i a nd e s e r v e sa v o i c e ,a n d h a s
l e a r n e dt h e k e y t o u s i n g y o u r v o i c e i s s e r v i c e . I n t h e p a s t
y e a r h e h a s p r o v i d e dm ( ) r e t h a n 1 0 0 h o u r s o f f r e e l e g a l
s e r v i c e st o l o w - i n c o m ec l i e n t sa n d n o n - p r o f i to r g a n i z a t i o n s .
B r e n t v o l u n t e e r sr e g u l a r l yt o t e a c h g o v e r n m e n t a n d l a w i n
h i g h s c h o o lc l a s s r o o m sa n d s e r u e so n t h e B o a r d o f D i r c c t o r s
of t he O r egon B u s P ro j e c t. As a m e m b e r of the B us P rcj ect,
B r e n t h a s c a n v a s s e dt h e s t a t e , l i s t e n i n gt o c o m m u n i t y

n.com/about.php
http:/i rnnr'. r'otebrentbar1.o t012512008