My name is Tommie Pillow and I am the president of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association. I read with interest the letter of July 31 accusing Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen of using taxpayer property in her re-election campaign. I am writing to establish the truth of the matter and let the readers of the Whidbey News-Times know that Mary Margaret did no such thing.

The trailer that Mary Margaret marched with on the Fourth of July was NOT taxpayer property. It was the property of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association, a private labor organization of troopers and sergeants in the Washington State Patrol. We drove our trailer up to join Mary Margaret in the parade because we enthusiastically support her for re-election and wanted to show our support to the people of Oak Harbor. Mary Margaret is a proven leader on law enforcement issues who serves with honor and integrity. She has been one of our champions in the legislature and the citizens of the 10th District and the whole state are fortunate to have an individual of her caliber in a leadership position.

What’s particularly striking about these accusations about Mary Margaret’s use of the troopers’ trailer is that the association has also sent the trailer up to support our other endorsed candidates in the 10th District, Republicans Norma Smith and Dave Hayes. Barbara Bailey and her friends know this and they know better than to use our support of Mary Margaret in yet another one of their false smears against Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret is a leader for law enforcement, for the 10th District and for the entire state. The members of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association are proud to support her.

Tommie Pillow,
president, WSPTA