Don’t get Hoodwinked!

Now that there is time, I would like to address the fact that my wife, Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale, made a significant financial investment to her campaign for judge that was reported locally in your paper on the Friday before the Tuesday primary election.

This drew some criticism and William “Wink” Robinson even stated that she was trying to buy the election. Nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t get hoodwinked!

Here is the truth:

1. My wife and I started our professional careers with nothing (but student loan debt). We did not come from a lineage of attorneys and judges. My wife is the hardest worker I know. We know that change is needed at our courthouse. We sacrificed and saved to invest in her campaign that is rooted in seeking fairness for all people and improving the court system.

2. The last judicial election occurred over 12 years ago. That election included former state Sen. Tim Shaffer, and despite his well-known name recognition, his campaign for judge spent over $140,000 at that time. As my wife has never held public office, and due to the increase in costs from over a decade ago, we anticipated spending more than the last election.

3. After the campaign started, the people in power were so threatened by my wife that they orchestrated for her to be sued in Commonwealth Court because we wanted to move 1.8 miles from a condo in Seven Fields to a ranch home with land in Cranberry Township. Both homes are in Butler County. “Wink” Robinson and another judicial candidate (who was supported by a law firm representing Judge Doerr) paid the same law firm that took my wife to court.

4. My wife had an increase in campaign costs as a result of this court challenge (which was eventually dismissed) and because of a number of related incidents in which our condo was staked out, an individual entered our new home under false pretenses, and other attacks, including my wife being followed. This led to increased expenses for advertising and for staff workers so that my wife could get her message to the voters all while I could ensure that she was safe and protected.

5. It is very expensive to run a campaign against the status quo and the good old ways and its network of influence.

6. My wife’s campaign is truly self-funded. She did not accept one dollar from any individual or law firm, to include any in-kind donations, toward her campaign. She also did not run campaign expenses unreported through any law firm, to include ours. Jennifer maintained a separate campaign office and paid for her own expenses, staff, campaign advisers and general assistance, to include driving to help her with events, signs, and door knocking while also ensuring her security as I required.

My wife will owe no favors as a judge, be impartial, and treat ALL the people of Butler County fairly.

7. By contrast, one candidate behind the harassing court objections against my wife spent around 70 percent of all campaign expenses (raised mostly from the law firm representing Doerr and her related contacts) against her.

This candidate also did not pay for any campaign staff, most of whom worked at the law firm representing Doerr.

8. And despite claiming to be self-funding his campaign, “Wink” Robinson accepted significant complimentary contributions from others, including his law firm assistant and a “campaign adviser.”

Campaign finance reports reveal that “Wink” Robinson did not monetarily compensate staff nor this “campaign adviser,” who is a Butler County attorney. This attorney operates a law firm in a building across from the courthouse.

This attorney is also a partner with other local attorneys in the real-estate company owning this building known as I.M. Butler, LLC. These attorneys include a former law clerk of Doerr and all who will appear frequently before the new family law judge.

“Wink” Robinson publicly credited in writing his “campaign adviser” as being the individual who “steered the campaign ship to its destination,” and deserving of a “gold medal” for “tolerance.” It sounds like “Wink” Robinson owes this man, and many others, a great deal.

9. My wife is not seeking to be a judge for increase in pay or for a pension approaching the end of her career.

She will continue to work hard as she always does, no matter what the challenges.

10. My wife also proudly spent money supporting community businesses, events and organizations to learn more about the needs of our county while meeting the dedicated and diverse people that make our county great.

Unlike “Wink” Robinson, we don’t support stiffing the community with unpaid sales tax. We remain 100 percent committed to improving our court system that serves our community for the benefit of all people.

I appreciate your time to read the truth. I thank everyone that has joined my wife to date. I hope that more of you will join too and believe, as we do, that positive change is needed at the courthouse and is worth investing and supporting. Don’t get hoodwinked!

Gary T. Vanasdale

Cranberry Township