Shepherd Signs Pledge Agreeing Not to Abuse Taxpayer Funded Legislative Expense Account; Urges Johnson to Do Same

Will Propose Legislation Prohibiting Legislators from Using Taxpayer Funds to Mail Legislative "Newsletters" within 60 Days of an Election

(MARIETTA) - State House Candidate Jason Shepherd has signed a pledge to the voters of the 37th District that he will not abuse taxpayer dollars by mailing out legislative newsletters within 60 days of an election in which he has competition. "While many members of the legislature use their taxpayer funded expense accounts to send updates to their constituents, it is an unethical abuse of taxpayer funds when a legislator sends it out in the middle of their re-election campaign, months after the legislative session has ended," said Shepherd. "That's why I have signed a pledge that as State Representative, I will not abuse taxpayer funds by mailing out these unsolicited legislative updates within 60 days of an election and will work to pass legislation making this practice illegal in the State of Georgia." The 60 day requirement is not even as strict as the 90 day requirement currently in place for members of Congress. Federal law prohibits a member of Congress from mass mailings fewer than 90 days before any primary election or general election in which the member is a candidate for reelection. The last day of the legislative session occurred in late April. With less than four weeks before his July 20 primary election against Mark Koch, Representative Terry Johnson's newsletters started hitting mailboxes across the district the last week of June and the first week of July. At that point, the legislative session had ended more than eight weeks before. Johnson beat Koch on July 20 with more than 70% of the Democrat vote. "It is disingenuous for Terry Johnson to talk about voting against the budget to protect teachers while spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on a mailer timed to help him get re-elected," said Shepherd. "Yesterday, I sent Terry Johnson a copy of the pledge via email and am urging him to join me by signing it. Furthermore, I and am asking Terry Johnson to reimburse the State of Georgia out of his campaign account for this obvious campaign mailer." A copy of the pledge can be found on his website at www.ShepforRep.com or downloaded by clicking here. A copy of Shepherd's email to Johnson can be downloaded here.

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