Falsely Accused: Here We Go Again

(Annie Black) – During my primary back in June, Mesquite City Council candidate Karen Fielding falsely accused me on Facebook of “leading” a Black Lives Matter protest in our community.

Jokingly, I replied…

“Apparently, Karen thinks ‘Black Lives Matter’ means me, Annie Black!”

But such irresponsible and unsubstantiated accusations, leveled on social media or elsewhere, are not a joke.  And being falsely accused is not fun – even though I accept that politics is sometimes conducted as warfare without the bloodshed.

Well, here we go again.

An anonymous letter, headlined “Bob ‘Above the Law’ Sweetin,” arrived in Mesquite mailboxes this week.  Mr. Sweetin is the current city attorney who is also running for mayor.

Among other things, the letter criticizes Mr. Sweetin for…

• Hiding the fact that he “clerked for Harry Reid in 2011” when Mr. Reid was the U.S. Senate Majority Leader.
• Allegedly being stopped “29 times since 2015” for various traffic violations, including speeding and talking on his cell phone while driving.
• Misrepresenting the pay a Mesquite police officer has received for work performed during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Failing to disclose how over $200,000 for “Professional and Technical Services” was spent by his office and to whom.

The mailer also includes photographs of Mr. Sweetin participating in, and “taking a knee” at, a Black Lives Matter protest in Mesquite a couple months ago.

I won’t comment on the claims in the letter.  However, in response to it Cristie Wursten, wife of Mesquite City Councilman Brian Wursten, posted the following on Facebook…

“Clearly it was drafted by MPOA and mailed out possibly, by AnniePAC?”

First, AnniePAC is my political action committee.  And I deny, categorically, that I had anything to do with this mailer.

Frankly, it’s not my style.  I don’t criticize or attack anonymously.  If I’m going to stab you politically, it’ll be in the heart, not the back.

Secondly, Lawrence Stewart, president of the MPOA (Mesquite Police Officers Association), issued a written statement in response to the mailer which clearly and unambiguously declared…

“THIS ANONYMOUS LETTER WAS NOT SENT OR AUTHORIZED BY THE MPOA OR ANY OF ITS MEMBERS.”

So clearly, Mrs. Wursten’s accusations and suppositions are just plain false.

And to pose her accusation about my “possible” involvement as a question – so as to give her “plausible deniability” – was both cowardly and intentionally dishonest.  It’d be like me posting on Facebook…

“Clearly Mayor Litman contracted COVID from a family member of someone on the city council, possibly Cristie Wursten?”

How do you think that would play in the Wursten household?  Not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot, is it?

We now return you to our regular programming…

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Poll: Voter support for Sisolak’s coronavirus response tumbles.” – Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/14/20

Annie Black is a Mesquite City Councilwoman and Assemblywoman-elect for Nevada State Assembly District 19.  You can get more information by visiting www.electannieblack.com