Project Vote Smart condemns Gutknecht for ethical lapse

Group says, "Gil Gutknecht is cheating the public out of their need for trusted, abundant, accurate, factual information."

Project Vote Smart issued a stern message to Gil Gutknecht yesterday, saying he "attacked his opponent, Timothy Walz, with misleading information and used Project Vote Smart's name to give his accusations credibility." This is in direct opposition to Project Vote Smart's policy, which is sent to every candidate in writing.

A bipartisan, citizen-run organization, Project Vote Smart sends questionnaires (called a National Political Awareness Test, or NPAT) to all candidates for federal and statewide offices asking them about their views on a wide range of issues. The candidates' answers are then put into a database and published on the web. Completing the questionnaire is optional, but candidates must answer at least 70% of the questions to be included.

In Minnesota Congressional District 1, Tim Walz's NPAT is already online, while Gil Gutknecht's is listed as "pending".

Project Vote Smart states on its website that it "does not permit the use of its name or programs in any negative campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches." Gil Gutknecht admits to using Tim Walz's Project Vote Smart NPAT information on his own campaign website.

The public release from Project Vote Smart regarding Gutknecht's use of the Walz NPAT information is as follows:

RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2006
FOR INFORMATION: Adelaide Kimball: 406-859-8683

PUBLIC STATEMENT

Gil Gutknecht, a candidate for the 15t Congressional District in Minnesota, has attacked his opponent, Timothy Walz, with misleading information and used Project Vote Smart's name to give his accusations credibility. This kind of negative campaign activity is precisely the sort of tactic that the Project attempts to counter with its factual database. By using the Project's name to give credibility to these attacks, Gil Gutknecht is cheating the public out of their need for trusted, abundant, accurate, factual information.

The Project prohibits the use of its name and programs, including the National Political Awareness Test (NPAT), in partisan political advertising. All candidates in Minnesota have been notified of this policy in writing. Additionally, this policy is posted prominently on the Project Vote Smart website.

This kind of behavior occurs in less that 00.05 percent of all races nationally. It is our policy to condemn this misuse of Project Vote Smart's name and reputation and to alert the public to any misuse of our name or programs for negative political activities.

A copy of the original document in a PDF file is here.

Project Vote Smart's Founding Board includes former Sen. George McGovern; current Sens. John McCain, Bill Frist and John Sununu; and former Reps. Newt Gingrich and Bill Frenzel, among others.