Disclaimer: In this post, I will be stating my opinion and my opinion only. These comments do not reflect the opinion or should be considered as representing the Germantown School Board. *** 08/25/2024 - Updated pictures of unendorsed check added with timestamp. ***
“Accusations fit on a bumper sticker; the truth takes longer.”
~ Michael Hayden
When I first ran for Germantown School Board in the Spring of 2020, I decided against accepting contributions for my campaign. When I ran in 2021, I held firm to that stance. Again, when I ran for re-election in 2024, I did not accept any contributions. On my filing paperwork for all the times I have run for office, I have marked my form properly as exempt from filing campaign finance reports.
On March 12th, I was quoted in an interview that I provided to jsonline.com that I wasn’t accepting contributions, nor was I seeking out any endorsements. (I would and will always speak to whoever wanted to talk with me, however, I wouldn’t ask for their endorsement. If they endorsed me, that would be their decision to.)
Why haven’t I taken donations? There are two reasons — first, the really easy reason. I don’t want to do the paperwork associated with it. If I self-fund my campaign, I am not required to file regular updates. I’ve told people the best sign of support is their willingness to plant a sign in their yard, take some of their time to put some brochures in paper boxes, and spread the word about my campaign.
Second, I didn’t take money from others because I didn’t even want to provide a sliver of fodder for others to imply that I was “in the pocket of special interest groups or political parties.” Something that the recent Facebook Reel produced and posted by Germantown Parents for Public Education (GTPPE) has done…
As a side note, the WCRP produced their “endorsements” list after that interview was published and no one from the Party spoke with me directly before that. I have been a member of the WCRP for at least 4-5 years (base membership).
“Lie detector time…”
~Pharrel Williams, “Double Life”
Those are the final words that you hear in the GTPPE Reel that they posted on Facebook.
Let’s break down their post and video and address what they are trying to imply and how they are gaslighting you to fit the narrative they want to control.
"Transparent and non-partisan school board members quietly take GOP money."
Transparency in their written post implies I am hiding something. They are implying that I’m lying. In this case, they may be trying to indicate that I haven’t disclosed campaign contributions. Therefore, depending on my situation, I have may broken campaign finance laws.
And, once again, the non-partisan description of school board elections is only related to this: It is described as non-partisan because there is no ‘R’ or ‘D’ next to the person’s name on the ballot. It has nothing to do with a position or viewpoint that one may take when it comes to a specific topic.
First, the truths in the video:
They accurately use quotes from the jsonline.com interview that I did. Specifically, the highlight “... will not accept campaign donations.”
I can confirm that I said those things to the reporter who was interviewing me.
They also highlight a Facebook post from my campaign page (https://www.facebook.com/pawlakforgsd). I can confirm that I did write that and the post is something that is still available on that page. I do not delete anything from my campaign page and my Board Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pawlakforgermantown/). Everything I’ve ever posted is still there.
Their screenshot of the Washington County Republican Party finance filing is correct to the best of my knowledge. Also, please know that their filing states that their disbursement occurred after the Spring Election concluded.
I did receive a check from the WCRP for $500. I’ve blocked out the bank information for privacy purposes.
"Ask questions; don't make assumptions."
~ Angela Ahrendts
From the video…
“Campaign finance reports for the spring election were filed in July.
We looked so you don't have to
We weren't surprised by what we found.
Will you be?
The Germantown School Board lacks public trust for a reason.”
They looked so you don’t have to… except they didn’t fully look.
Let’s be clear on something. Just because someone sends you a check doesn’t mean you’ve accepted a campaign contribution. Think about how easily someone from that group or anyone else could send me a check and then turn around and accuse me of going against my stance.
To accept a contribution, you have to cash the check.
I have not cashed the check.
Did they reach out to me to verify their findings? No. They lied by omission.
“I love listening to lies when I know the truth.”
~ Unknown
Where I currently stand
As of today, I still haven’t accepted a campaign contribution.
It’s tempting, though. Really tempting.
Why? Because election campaigns are expensive.
I’ve accumulated a lot of signs and stakes so currently I’m not spending a lot on them. But, it was expensive at first. In the last two elections, I’ve had a primary and, fortunately, the general election. That has meant that I’ve had to spend money on primary flyers and general election brochures. Thousands of flyers and brochures. To provide perspective, this past spring, I distributed over 8,000 flyers for the general election.
Five hundred dollars or ten dollars, or a hundred dollars… Anything would help, but where I continually land is that I need to be true to myself.
By posting this, I’ll end up being criticized by some who are on the conservative side of the political spectrum. They will say that I’m crazy for not taking the money. As I have done in the past, as we approach re-election time in a couple of years, I’ll go through my process of reflection and decide on many things then. Will I ever change my stance on accepting contributions? As of today, no. In the future, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. As part of my stance, the most important thing for me is to be true to myself, if something changes, I’ll explain myself publicly.
Things to ponder…
The description of the Germantown Parents for Public Education Facebook page states, in part: "We are committed to being a trusted source of information in order to bring about meaningful change.” (emphasis mine)
They only provided half the story to fit their narrative. To be clear, the information that they presented in the video about me is true. I said those things. I received a check from the WCRP. But why did they not do any further due diligence to confirm the story they planned to tell? To be a “trusted source,” I think it would be a reasonable expectation to fact-check their information before posting it.
This should start to make you wonder…How many other times have they shared information on their page that maybe is just part of a greater story? Have they withheld information that benefits the narrative that they want to convey?
For most people, seeing the GTPPE side compared to a fuller story from a person in which they've attacked should be eye-opening. If I was a member of this group, I'd maybe question if I'm getting the full story or if something is missing... Is there more to the story? Why are they saying what they are saying? Is it simply an attack just to attack someone who they may not like? In this particular case, how does this attack move education forward in the Germantown School District? Am I being gaslighted? Do I believe what they posted?
If you have a School District policy difference of opinion with me, I'm 100% fine with that. Let’s discuss.
If you publish a lie (by omission) or make an accusation about something that can be proven 100% false about me, I will take the action necessary to prove you wrong. I will use my platform just like you did to make the general public aware of what really is the truth.
“We looked so you don't have to” - If you follow the GTPPE page, you might want to look for yourself, just in case.
08/25/2024 - Updated unendorsed check pictures with timestamp.
