HD-50: Matthews demands Lim take down latest ad

State House candidate Greg Matthews (D-Portland) is demanding that state Rep. John Lim (R-Gresham) pull a television ad that accuses Matthews of violating a city rule by using photos of him in his firefighter uniform in campaign literature.

Interim Gresham city attorney David Ris sent a letter to House Minority leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) on September 30 informing him that since the pictures that appear in the literature were taken before August 5, 2008, Matthews is not in violation of the law.

According to the Matthews campaign, Lim has continued to run an ad accusing Matthews of overlooking the law, even after city officials have said the literature does not break any rules. The Matthews campaign has requested that Lim take the advertising down and has hinted that Lim, who is running for his third term in the state House, may be violating Oregon law by making a “ false statement of material fact relating to [a] candidate, political committee or measure.”

Calls to Lim’s campaign were not immediately returned, but Hanna’s spokesman Nick Smith was not impressed by the decision to allow a pre-August 5 picture to appear in post-August 5 campaign material.

“It’s an artful way of enforcing the city rule,” Smith said.

The pictures that appeared in Matthews’ campaign material show him in his firefighter uniform. He has been a member of the Gresham Fire Department for 11 years, and has received a large amount of support from Oregon firefighters and firefighter unions.

“I’m proud to be endorsed by firefighters from all over Oregon. They know having a firefighter and former police officer in the Legislature means we’ll be paying more attention to the public safety needs of our local communities,” said Matthews.