PAC's Attack Over Ethics Draws Sharp Response From Incumbent Sternoff

Suddenly the relatively calm Kirkland City Council race between incumbent and newcomer has blown up, with charges flying of dirty politics, character assassination and vendettas.

Oddly enough, however, this political war of words is not between Gardiner and Sternoff. Rather, it is the result of an attack campaign against Sternoff by a political action committee formed in August called Concerned Citizens of Kirkland.

The PAC planted “Reject Bob Sternoff” signs around Kirkland on Monday, almost always near and often directly in front of Sternoff’s own campaign signs, charging the incumbent with “ethics violations.”

It all stems from a controversy in 2009 when emails Sternoff sent from his city computer were revealed after a public information request by the watchdog group Evergreen Freedom Foundation. Many were racy emails sent to his girlfriend, others questioned the intelligence of some of Sternoff’s fellow council members, and some were jokingly threatening toward them. Many were sent during council meetings.

An attorney was hired to do an investigation at a cost to the city of $5,000, creating another contentious debate about the attorney’s ties to other council members. The so-called Sherman Report by the Seattle attorney and former prosecutor, Bill Sherman, found that Sternoff violated both state law and city code. Sternoff publicly apologized, calling his actions a case of poor judgment, but he was never charged with anything and the council took no action against him. The case also prompted the city to develop an ethics code.

But the two Kirkland men listed with the state Public Disclosure Commission as leaders of the PAC say the entire case raises the question of Sternoff’s character and fitness for public office.

“I think the most egregious thing is that he has a hateful attitude about people he disagrees with,” says Kenneth Albinger, 61, an electrical engineer who lives in Juanita. “It seems to me (the investigation) found good cause that laws were broken. The fact that he had no punishment, the city spent $5,000 and had to create a new ethics code, it merits public attention.”

Albinger is listed by the state PDC as treasurer of Concerned Citizens of Kirkland. Michael H. Beaton of Kirkland is listed as the manager of the PAC, which also has created a web site airing its charges and includes a copy of the Sherman Report.

Sternoff calls the Sherman report “garbage” created by someone associated with his council opponents past and present, maintains he broke neither state law nor city code, and says the PAC campaign against him is a vendetta.

“These are people who have an agenda and are obviously tied to folks who lost in the last election,” Sternoff says. “And now in this election, I get the character assassination.”

Albinger does not deny association with past or present council candidates, but says he has no association with Sternoff’s current opponent, Gardiner.

Gardiner says he knows who Albinger is, but does not know him or anyone else behind the Concerned Citizens of Kirkland at all. He appears seriously miffed that the PAC’s efforts are drawing attention away from his campaign and the issues.

“I really wish they could have gone about it in a different way, and if they want to support me, they had supported me,” Gardiner says. “It’s about Bob, not me. It’s definitely an interesting development. The first time I even knew about this was when I took my daughter to school Monday and saw a sign.”

Sternoff says the campaign against him is actually benefiting his campaign, bringing out supporters disgusted by an attack over an issue most consider history.

“I am heartened beyond anything else I could say,” Sternoff says. “The outpouring of support I’ve gotten from people is beyond anything I ever thought. People are just outraged. We thought we got rid of this kind of politics.”

But Albinger says the report raises questions about Sternoff’s character so serious that the campaign does not amount to dirty politics.

“I’ve thought about that,” Albinger says. “I don’t think it’s a low blow. I feel like I am doing a service for citizens by independently standing up and pointing out the facts. There is substantial evidence that he broke two state laws and city codes.”

Albinger says that the Concerned Citizens campaign has heard from citizens who were dismayed by Sternoff’s reaction when they spoke against issues Sternoff supported.

“Since I decided to stand up, it appears this was not just a lapse,” Albinger says. “I’ve had people who were opposed to annexation, which he supported, and when they testified before the council, not only did he ignore them, he made disparaging remarks on break. Our elected officials need to treat us with respect.”

Albinger says the fact that Sternoff was never charged with any crime raises a good question.

“Why was he not even reprimanded? Why did the council let him off? That bothers me,” Albinger says. “I don’t think he has been held accountable.”

Albinger notes that an election around the time of the investigation changed the council to a more conservative makeup more supportive of Sternoff.

Sternoff, a developer by occupation, maintains that the attack against him amounts to a settling of scores by opponents going back to an extremely contentious past about development in downtown Kirkland, most notably the Bank of America building on the corner of Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue.

“There’s more to this underneath the scenes. There’s lots of layers,” he says.

Sternoff pointedly mentions the group 45th District Democrats, which reportedly has endorsed Gardiner, although its website does not indicate it has, and also has endorsed council incumbents and . But Sternoff will not go so far as to link any current council members to Concerned Citizens of Kirkland, saying, “You can draw your own conclusions.”