Whether you're “With Chuck” or not in the race for the Cameron County District Attorney seat, republican candidate Charles "Chuck" Mattingly said Monday, this time dirty politics have gone too far.
"Running in a race, you do expect some of that, but you expect it to be directed at the candidate,” Mattingly said. “What they are doing is they are not only affecting me, they are affecting my family - my wife and my four boys."
Mattingly received a letter Saturday from the Office of the District Attorney Armando Villalobos. The letter states there's been complaints – although Mattingly has not been made aware of what those complaints are.
The letter also said he failed to submit an official leave request - which Mattingly said he did not ask for.
Starting October 26, the republican candidate will be placed on leave without pay.
"When I was not working, I was out campaigning,” Mattingly said. So on, I didn’t request this – this is something that was just sprung upon me."
He feels it’s all politically motivated.
"I don’t play ball, I don’t believe in favoritism I don’t do some of the things they want me to do if I don’t believe they are right and because of that I’m not always the most popular guy there but you know I’m fine with that because I do my job and I do it well and I do it honestly."
Action 4 News spoke with Cameron County Republican Party Chair Frank Morris, who said this is a way to intimidate republican candidates and voters.
Morris adds that since Mattingly announced his candidacy, the district attorney's office has been gradually reducing his duties.
First Mattingly was demoted from the district attorney first assistant position; then they moved him from the central office and re-assigning him to a San Benito office; prohibited him from speaking to media in official capacity and now he’s been put on leave.
"It's no coincidence that they put me on leave just before early voting begins,” Mattingly said. “And then my opponent published a very negative political ad the Sunday before early voting begins – To me, you know, that's just dirty, low-down politics and it's not right."
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