I couldn't, in my wildest dreams, make this up.
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_13732035?source=most_viewedLibertarian official is registered sex offender
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/06/2009 04:49:09 PM PST
When members of the San Bernardino County Libertarian Party elected Matthew Barnes as the group's vice chairman for 2010, they knew he was a registered sex offender."The members of the party that voted for him, they voted for him knowing he had completed his time and his punishment and didn't want to hold that against him," said Paul Darr, the county party chairman, who says he's planning a run for the State Assembly. "He completed his punishment by the state and has been reformed."
Barnes, 41, pleased guilty in 1993 to three countes of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, according to court records. The crimes were committed in the summer of 1987, when Barnes was 19.
Barnes did not return messages left with the party chairman.
Court records detailing the specifics of Barnes' offenses were not immediately available. Darr said he did not know details of the crimes. But it likely wouldn't matter, at this point.
"There's nothing that gives us the authority to remove him from his position," Darr said.
He added that Barnes is "not in the position to do any harm to individuals."
Darr appears to be more accepting of Barnes' past than some party leaders.
Michael Mendez, the county party's outgoing secretary, said Barnes is "a nice guy" who has done a lot for the party. But Mendez plans to cut ties to the party when his term as secretary ends in December.
"I'm a deacon of my church," he said.
"I work with children. ... I deal with lots of people who would say, 'That's not a good idea, Mike."'
Darr said he hopes having a registered sex offender in a leadership role doesn't give people the wrong impression about the Libertarian Party, which bills itself as "socially tolerant" and "fiscally responsible."
"I hope it would show that members of the party, while being aware of people's past, are willing to take in people that have reformed," Darr said. "Hopefully it's not taken as us harboring criminals."
Jack Pitney, a professor of political science at Clarmont McKenna College, said Libertarian Party members generally don't care enough about winning elections to keep such public relations snafus from happening.
"A lot of people in both (major) parties, and independents as well, have libertarian beliefs, but this is the kind of problem that keeps them from even thinking about the Libertarian Party," he said, noting that Barnes' case is not the first of its kind.
"Not long ago, the Libertarian Party's candidate for lieutenant governor was Norma Jean Almodovar," Pitney said. "She was a prostitute."
Well, hte last bit about running a whore for Lt Gov at least has the virtue of being dang funny.