The actual Souder Facebook message
Posted by Mike Sylvester - 6/9/10 @ 6:22 pm - Filed Under 2010 Local Elections, 2010 National Elections, Featured, Local Politics, National Politics, State Politics
This post contains the actual email sent to three media sources on 6/7/10 at 3:07 PM and it contains the actual facebook message that former Congressman Souder sent. There are no editorial comments in this post; it is provided so that you can see it as is.
First the email:
From: Steven Clouse [
mailto:stclouse@gmail.com]
Sent: Mon 6/7/2010 3:07 PM
To: jeffn@indianasnewscenter.com; Niki Kelly; mattg@kpcnews.net; bhowey2@gmail.com
Subject: Congressional caucus - message from Souder
Last night at 8:03 PM I received the attached personal message from former
Congressman Mark Souder. This repreents the only communication I have had
with Mr. Souder since his resigation from office last month. I do not know,
nor do I care to speculate, as to his motives for sending the message, via
Facebook, to me last night. According to the header of the message, the
message was sent to myself, and Randall Kirkpatrick, chariman of the Noble
County Republican party. After much deiberation with Mr. Kirkpatrick, it
was our decision to release the statement so that the voters on Saturday
have as much information before them as possible. At the time I am sending
this to you, Mr. Kirkpatrick will soon distribute the message to his fellow
county chairmen, as well as to the Noble County precinct officials.
As far as the ethicacy of releasing a message that appears to have been
intended to be a private message, let me state that given the subject matter
at hand, to not share this message would be as reckless as the acts that
drove Mr. Souder from office. Mr. Kirkpatrick did attempt to contact Mr.
Souder for an explanation this morning, but was not successful in reaching
him.
Sincrely,
Steven Clouse
Next the Facebook message Mark Souder sent June 6th, 2010:
Between Randall L. Kirkpatrick, You and Mark Souder
Mark Souder June 6 at 8:03pm Reply
It is with some reluctance that I write this but need to share some caucus thoughts. At this point, only raising with you two.
First, let me tell you directly, I am sorry for my sin and how it hurt everyone - my wife, my family, those who are Christians and those who are not, the party, the movement.
Second, while I know there were political motives behind the pressure to force me out, and there were no proven facts, I - in the end - believed it was best for everyone involved. I acknowledged far more than anyone even suspected, as did Tracy.
But there are some things that at least need to be considered.
1) The role of Maverick, the Republican House leadership consulting group that did the Thomas campaign and is working with Marlin. They need to be blocked from this area. Joy LeCount had horror stories, so did Allen County reps, and Dan Burton dropped them for same things (only do really nasty negatives, questionable billing expenses among other things). Our district has had negatives, but need to decide if this is to be the new norm.
Marlin needs to be persuaded to drop them and others not to use them.
2) I believe Marlin will win the caucus, possibly early ballot. Ryan Elijah is pressing him (and newness could bring upset, but also no experience is a disadvantage) Wes Culver is very qualified (but don’t know where he goes for votes past Elkhart) and Randy Borrer is limited in potential to grow his vote. Liz Brown is a sleeper if all Allen got behind her, but don’t know how she gets 10 percent.
3) Though I am frustrated at Marlin (more in a minute), he’s probably best qualified and basically a very good man for all his over aggressive ambition.
4) It is strange that a Whitley County conservation officer, not the one who caught Tracy and I, went to Brad Jackson on Thursday morning after the primary (after holding info since late October).
And his facts were exaggerated, in other words, not accurate.
Brad confronted Tracy, Tracy confessed, I talked to them that night. Brad also told Marlin.
5) Going back a bit - when Marlin sought the State Senate seat, he asked Tracy (who he knew from my staff) to introduce him to Brad so he could seek his support. In that discussion, Brad was on his high horse about some e-mails he had between Tracy and I that he felt showed we felt too strongly for each other. Brad expressed his frustration about me, urging Marlin to run against me. Marlin knew I was considering leaving in a term or two at most (even several years ago) so basically placated him. Marlin, on the other hand, appears to have suggested that Brad might be a good candidate for the State Senate seat if Marlin ever did become congressman. This later was bandied about as a “deal” though it is hard to establish - personally, I think some Kosciusko County committeepeople used it as an excuse for their vote. Anyway, those votes were Marlin’s margin over Matt Bell.
6) Marlin then tried to talk to me about my “inappropriate relationship” with Tracy - we did over the phone, where I basically yelled at him (his own comment, beyond Brad’s intercepted e-mails, were that he once saw Tracy and I drive up in her jeep for a meeting coming from another - she was driving me that day - and didn’t think male/female should be alone). In other words, Marlin has told the complete truth about what he knew - “inappropriate” and I denied anything. And, as I mentioned, Brad didn’t learn that it was an actual affair until Thursday, May 4 of this year (almost two years later) - certainly no one else did until Tracy and I confessed. There is nothing to find on Marlin regarding what he knew because he didn’t.
7) When Marlin decided to run for the US Senate, his friendship with Brad led Brad to begin flying him in a plane Brad partly owns.
I warned Brad thru Tracy to make sure it was reported. Supposedly Marlin did, but it doesn’t look like an in-kind to me (Brad shows up as having given 500 dollars, that doesn’t cover it).
Furthermore, the reason I stopped going in any private plane is that the rules force you to declare an incredible number (thousands) which is ridiculous. In other words, Marlin has a problem - Brad doesn’t, he just flew him. Since he flew to multiple Lincoln Days around the state, and it was very public, and Christy and possibly the kids did as well (more declarations not seen), it is unlikely to remain secret.
I don’t know what to do - but Marlin (and I could have missed it) needs to clean it up after caucuses if he wins). Take a small hit rather than a Kelty one. Federal penalties aren’t severe.
8) Now it gets worse. Multiple contacts have already told me that the Democrats assume the nominee is Marlin and that attacking him for what he knew will be a campaign issue. I thus far have not raised it in spite of repeated requests to do so, for the reasons I stated in the beginning - I want to stay out, I think Marlin will win, and - with everything above, I think Marlin would probably be best congressman. I also believe Dem attacks may backfire. There are advantages to having a “clean start” candidate like Ryan Elijah, but also risks - he could blow up as well on an issue.
9) Dems have also clearly stated that Marlin will be investigated if he wins. They will raise that - he will be under investigation from day one. He will also be found innocent. He did nothing wrong.
Nor did I violate any rules - that’s the part I meant when I said the current climate in Washington, not blaming Washington for my actions but for my resignation.
10) They have no jurisdiction over me anymore.
11) They can get my e-mails relating to Marlin (and Brad by inference). And Derek and Renee, who were also involved.
(All for inappropriate, not affair, to repeat.) Unfortunately, in those e-mails are some exchanges on the supposed “deal” that led Marlin to defeating Matt, also who claimed what (because I challenged Derek’s credibility in saying there was a deal).
12) I am upset because I resigned to avoid dragging this out, and now may have to see the abstinence video in a Hayhurst ad, have stuff drug out anyway, but went on some offense to offset. (For example, so what if there is an e-mail saying I had “feelings” when we admit we had sex over a number of years - confessed more.)
Still, not happy about it.
13) What is absolutely clear is this: Brad can’t be state senator or the “deal” won’t be hypothetical. Because, one more fact, either Maverick or Marlin was leaking info to Fox News that broke the story. They got the info from Brad (most was only known to Brad, Tracy, Diane and I at the time Fox got it, and Brad told two people). Brad now regrets having done so, though fails to understand how he blew it open (I was trying to withdraw from race but not resign, then trying to resign without specifics of what or who, but Fox had intimate details via Brad.)
Thus, if there is a “deal”, then Brad AND Marlin showed deliberate, calculated malice not bumbling, well-intentioned, meddling (which I think it most likely was). Note: Maverick had malice for there part, they had been shopping for info for several months. And never got it until Brad talked.
Not to mention, the flying in Brad’s plane goes from an oversight to a planned part of a major plot.
14) If I felt this disqualified Marlin, I would have gone public and raised it to different people. I raised it to you too because a united Noble County in the state senate race - combining with any other for the State House or State Senate seat (note: potentially Marlin’s, definitely Matt’s, and maybe Yarde’s, if he moved up).
Lastly, I have no reason to believe that Brad is remotely interested in the State Senate seat at this time. And, ironically, I originally thought he’d be a good candidate. I think during this he’s showed an incredible media ignorance (I kept trying to tell him if he didn’t keep his mouth shut, FOX News was going to be in their driveway, he didn’t and they were) but he is a solid conservative, and a non-perfect but good Christian. But right now he needs to lay low.
But somebody needs to see the big picture here, go in with eyes wide open. This will be a mess but there is also something known as over-reaching. I think if Hayhurst does bring up the affair and Marlin, it will backfire big-time because I have been so public.
But the plane (if indeed not correctly reported) and the senate seat are more problematic.
Comments
6 Responses to “The actual Souder Facebook message”
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1) Don’t use Maverick because they do negative ads? Better to create your own I guess…
As others have said, just go away…
I love this line- “he is a solid conservative, and a non-perfect but good Christian.”
I think the only perfect Christian was Christ….
I also thought the part about negative ads was comical. Souder is to negative ads what John Holmes was to 70’s porn.
Liz Brown is looking better and better.
Clouse is a Borror guy…
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