At the Feb. 11 regular Greenwood Town Board meeting, Paul Thompson and Steve Bradach, both candidates for elective office in next month’s township elections, lodged accusations against me and called for my resignation because of my actions regarding a misfiled affidavit of candidacy.
The very first sentence on the affidavit of candidacy says all information on the affidavit is available to the public and may be published on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Once a candidate provides proper identification (driver’s license) and proof of residence, the filing officer (Clerk Deb Spicer) initials a box on the affidavit confirming the actions were completed.
I wanted to alert how this mistake could be fixed since Spicer did not initial the box on the affidavits.  I emailed the clerk one of the four affidavits to inform her of the error and seeking information as to the seriousness of the missed step. The clerk informed Mr. Thompson, who most likely informed Mr. Bradach: they showed no concern about the misfiled affidavits, but instead spent their time concocting a story accusing me of breaking into the clerk’s files and obtaining the affidavit. They did so without presenting a shred of evidence to that end– Mr. Thompson and Mr. Bradach must have consulted their bag of “dirty tricks” since they presented a totally false imaginative scenario – fiction writing at its “best.”  Thompson claims:
1. It was in a locked file since it was filled out — obviously not true.
2. I somehow broke into the clerk’s files and — not true, checked the surveillance tape.
3. I posted it online — not true I sent it only to the clerk.
4. It may have been a criminal act. Great, do your civic duty and contact the county attorney. I would love to tell this one to the judge.
5. Mr. Thompson surmised I was doing it for a political purpose.
I contacted the clerk. It was Mr. Thompson who brought it into the public arena by enlisting a partner (Mr. Bradach). In the past, I have advised him to heed a most appropriate quote from JFK: “Too often you use the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
John Bassing
Greenwood Township