Beware rogue campaign fliers. This one in particular could confuse Tri-City voters

Ballots are out and Tri-City voters should be on their guard.

Rogue campaign material is popping up all over the internet and elsewhere, and it is critical people don’t fall for some of the manipulative tricks being used to get their votes.

One flier in particular circulating on the web could easily be mistaken for the official endorsement list of the Benton County Republican Party (BCRP).

It’s titled, “The Right Conservative Ticket for Benton County, Washington,” and lists eight candidates along with their photos for various positions.

While seven of those listed received an endorsement from the BCRP, Jerrod Sessler, candidate for Washington state’s 4th Congressional seat, did not.

Washington State Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, is the BCRP pick for the prestigious federal post.

But if conservatives in the community aren’t paying attention, it would be easy for them to think Sessler got the Benton County GOP endorsement if they went only by this one election ad.

Micah Valentine, Sessler’s campaign manager, told the Herald that this digital flier did not come from the Sessler campaign, but a “private citizen/pac” and that “people make fliers all the time with the candidates they prefer and spread them.”

Since the flier doesn’t list a source, it’s tough to be absolutely certain who created it.

But that omission also should tip people off that it’s not from an official group — at least not one willing to follow state election laws.

According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, most political advertising must include a message that explains who paid for it. The law also dictates where and how the sponsor ID message is displayed. In addition, “Campaigns and most other advertising sponsors must report to the PDC how much money was spent on advertising, which candidates or ballot measures benefited from the advertising and, in some cases, when the advertising was presented to the public.”

But with the internet, anyone with the know-how can make campaign material look official when it’s not.

Of all the Primary Election races this year, the far-right conservative push to unseat Congressman Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, is shaping up to have the most drama.

The BCRP has been upset with Newhouse ever since he voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 riot last year.

We praised Newhouse for his courage and for voting his conscience. But the risky decision put a target on his back and now there are several Republican candidates trying to knock him off.

Sessler is among them. When he did not get the endorsement from the Benton County Republican Party, he created a half-hour video on the “sham endorsement saga” and blasts certain BCRP members for the process they used.

But Mike Massey, BCRP chair, said Klippert was the clear favorite.

Klippert already has legislative experience and he has a strong history of winning elections, which were among the reasons why he ended up getting the nod from the BCRP, according to Massey.

We also suspect that it’s easier to select someone you know rather than someone you don’t. Klippert grew up in Sunnyside and has been actively involved in the Tri-City community for years.

Sessler, on the other hand, is an unknown who raised his family on the west side of the state and emerged on the Eastern Washington political scene only when he decided to run for Congress.

Klippert has served in the state House since 2008 and never struggled to keep his seat.

For those Mid-Columbia conservatives who care about the BCRP endorsements, it would be wise to check the party’s website to confirm who made their list.

We suspect that between now and the Aug. 2 Primary Election there will be tons of campaign ads on the internet, in the mailbox, and over the radio.

The next several weeks could get ugly and divisive, so beware the lies and manipulation.

This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 12:52 PM.