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Complaint of Violations of Code of Fair Election Practices. H.R. Haldeman complaint against campaign practices of Edmund G. (Pat) Brown w/ edited text. 5pp. [Form], 10311962
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Complaint of Violations of Code of Fair Election Practices. H.R. Haldeman complaint against campaign practices of Edmund G. (Pat) Brown w/ edited text. 5pp. [Form], 10311962
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
White House Special Files Collection
Folder List
Box Number Folder Number Document Date
Document Type
Document Description
55
18
10311962
Form
Complaint of Violations of Code of Fair
Election Practices. H.R. Haldeman
complaint against campaign practices of
Edmund G. (Pat) Brown w/ edited text. 5pp.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Page 1 of 1
file
COMPLAINT
OF
VIOLATIONS
OF
CODE OF FAIR ELECTION PRACTICES
H. R. Haldeman
Campaign Manager, Nixon for Governor
October 31, 1962
CODE OF FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES
There are basic principles of decency, honesty and fair play which every
candidate for public office in the United States has a moral obligation
to observe and uphold, in order that, after vigorously contested but
fairly conducted campaigns, our citizens may exercise their constitutional
right to a free and untrammeled choice and the will of the people may be
fully and clearly expressed on the issues before the Country.
THEREFORE:
I SHALL CONDUCT my campaign in the best American tradition, discussing the
issues as I see them, presenting my record and policies with sincerity
and frankness, and criticizing without fear or favor the record and policies
of my opponent and his party which merit such criticism.
I SHALL DEFEND AND UPHOLD the right of every qualified American voter to
full and equal participation in the electoral process.
I SHALL CONDEMN the use of personal vilification, character defamation
whispering campaigns, libel, slander, or scurrilous attacks on any candi-
date or his personal or family life.
I SHALL CONDEMN the use of campaign material of any sort which misrepre-
sents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding any candidate,
as well as the use of malicious or unfounded accusations against any
candidate which aim at creating or exploiting doubts, without justification,
as to his loyalty and patriotism.
I SHALL CONDEMN any appeal to prejudice based on race, creed, or national
origin.
I SHALL CONDEMN any dishonest or unethical practice which tends to corrupt
or undermine our American system of free elections or which hampers or
prevents the full and free expression of the will of the voters.
I SHALL IMMEDIATELY AND PUBLICLY REPUDIATE support deriving from any
individual or group which resorts, on behalf of my candidacy or in
opposition to that of my opponent, to the methods and tactics which I
condemn.
I, the undersigned, candidate for election to public office in the United
States of America, hereby endorse, subscribe to, and solemnly pledge myself
to conduct my campaigns in accordance with the above principles and
practices, so help me God.
/si Edmund G. (Pat) Brown
DATE
Signature
COMPLAINT OF VIOLATIONS OF CODE OF FAIR CAMPAIGN
PRACTICES
As campaign manager for Richard Nixon. I vigorously protest the campaign
practices of Edmund Brown and his publicists, which are violations of the
Code of Fair Campaign Practices which Mr. Brown voluntarily signed. The
instances of deliberate falsehood and distortion we herewith present for
your attention are not isolated cases of "honest mistake", Specifically,
the Code of Fair Campaign Practices has been violated by Mr. Brown, as
follows:
(1) A violation of the third, sixth and seventh principles:
Serious distortions of fact are contained in a current radio
commercial for Mr. Brown. A copy of the text is attached (Exhibit
"A") and should be considered in connection with this complaint.
Specifically the text falsely implies that both publications
mentioned are attributable to the Nixon campaign.
The pamphlet "California Dynasty of Communism" by Karl Prussi n,
has no connection with the Nixon campaign and has been condemned
and repudiated by Mr. Nixon. Any innuendo to the contrary is false.
The pictures contained in the Anti-CDC pamphlet issued by our
campaign are not "faked". They are pictures of Mr. Brown that
are completely unretouched and unaltered. It is flagrantly improper
to call these pictures "forgery", as the commercial does.
The pamphlet contains pictures of Mr. Brown used illustratively to
show his long-time applause of the policies of the C.D.C. As an
illustration it is not false, fake, unreal, a forgery or deliberately
doctored. The radio commercial should be severely censured as a
clear violation of the principles of your Code.
(2) A violation of the fourth principle:
On October 12, 1962, in Salinas over KSBW-TV (and on subsequent
occasions, we believe) Edmund Brown himself narrated a film showing
the "accomplishments of his administration." Among the false claims
by Mr. Brown were:
(a) That a senior citizens' building shown and said to be in
Seaside (it was actually in Pacific Grove) was attributable to
Brown's efforts. According to State Senator Fred Farr (D-Carmel),
Brown's administration had nothing whatsoever to do with it.
(b) That the Monterey Research Park was a result of his adminis-
tration's efforts. This statement is absolutely false. This pro-
ject is entirely a result of local cooperation between The City of
Monterey and Del Monte Properties Company. Brown's administration
had nothing whatsoever to do with it.
(3) A violation of the fourth, sixth and seventh principles:
One "John J. Keller" signed a letter dated September 25, 1962, from
a purported "Republican Committee to Re-elect Governor Brown", 140
Montgomery Street, San Francisco 4, California. Mr. Keller was a
registered Democrat and voted as such in the primary election in
June of 1962.
(4) A violation of the fourth, fifth and seventh principles:
The Keller letter was sent to citizens of Polish ancestry. It en-
closed a smear sheet headed, "Nixon has supported discriminatory
immigration laws." It purports to cite Mr. Nixon's legislative
record, but it does so falsely, in a manner calculated to appeal
to prejudice based on national origin. This sheet's description
of the effect of a recommittal to committee and the effect of over-
ride of a Truman veto on immigrants is grossly misleading and untrue,
(MORE)
(5) A violation of the fourth principle
In a television commercial being run throughout the state, Mr. Brown
is depicted standing in front of the Mulholland Dam Spillway while
the oral text contends that this and other structures were the
result of Mr. Brown's efforts. The statement given, and the total
implication of the commercial, are false. The structure involved
Owner
was built when Mr. Brown was eight years old.
adepute
(6) A violation of the fourth and seventh principles:
pun
Canada
Edmund Brown, his Vice-Chairman George McLain, and his publicists
have repeatedly published false and distorted material alleging
that Mr. Nixon advocates a reduction of pensions and other benefits
for the elderly. Attached as Exhibit "B" are samples of this
material. Mr. Nixon has advocated removing the unqualified and in -
eligible from state welfare rolls. He has never made any statements
to support the misrepresentations of Mr. McLain, Mr. Brown and their
people concerning this subject.
Similar, more detailed statements of this kind were made by Mr.
McLain at Fresno on Saturday, October 27 before an audience. In
substance he said that, if elected, Mr. Nixon would take from the
elderly "all your benefits". Mr. McLain then took a collection of
$1,100 from the pensioners present, for Mr. Brown's benefit.
Mr. Brown made such statements before the Baptist Ministers' Alliance
in Los Angeles, where he also grossly misrepresented Mr. Nixon's
position regarding fair employment practices.
(7) A violation of the fourth principle:
Mr. Brown, in recorded television commercials, has falsely inferred
by the use of background photographs and spoken text that he and
his administration are responsible for the establishment of free
education in the State of California. This false contention would
be laughable if it were not seriously repeatedly being made on a
state-wide basis at present.
(8) A violation of the third, fourth and seventh principles:
While Mr. Brown has not personally had the courage to charge Mr.
Nixon with wrong-doing in this connection, he has encouraged (and
failed to repudiate) the circulation of defamatory and libelous
copy alleging that Mr. Nixon or his family acted improperly in
connection with his family's financial misfortune in 1956.
Copies of some of this material are attached hereto as Exhibit "C".
This is precisely the kind of political conduct condemned by Mr. Brown
himself when he signed The Code of Fair Campaign Practices.
The innuendo that, as Vice President, Mr. Nixon could have, or did,
favor an airline or contractor is absolutely false. It is unsupported
by any evidence because it is untrue, Mr. Brown's publicists and
workers do not offer any evidence; there is none to give because
the contemptible slur is a lie.
When given an opportunity to make the charge and prove it, on state-
wide television, Mr. Brown reddened and denied that he made the charge.
Yet he has violated the Code by failing to clearly repudiate "the use
of personal vilification, character defamation, whispering campaigns,
libel, slander or scurrilous attacks on (the) candidate or his
personal or family life" by Brown's political associates.
(9) A violation of the seventh principle:
Mr. Nixon has vigorously repudiated a pamphlet by Karl Prussion
entitled "California Dynasty of Communism". Yet Democratic officials
(MORE)
principally Mr. Brown and Eugene Wyman, Democratic State Chairman,
have persistently attacked this book while criticizing other pam-
phlets which are actually campaign material of the Nixon organi-
zation and which are responsibly critical of Mr. Brown's position
on issues. This is a devious, brazen and irresponsible effort
to associate Mr. Nixon with the Prussion pamphlet for which no
one can or will claim he has a bit of responsibility.
Of some interest is the fact that Karl Prussion, the pamphlet's
author, stated in a press conference he had received no orders
from Republican organizations, but that the California Democratic
Council had ordered 1,000 copies.
(10) A violation of the fourth principle:
Upon his return to the State last weekend, Mr. Brown issued a state-
ment to the press. In one paragraph he complained that while his
back was turned "tens of thousands" of pieces of campaign literature
were mailed "by my opposition" accusing Brown of being soft on
Communism.
(The only such accusation of this kind being made is found in the
Prussion Book, "California Dynasty of Communism", which has no
connection with the Nixon campaign whatsoever.)
In the next breath, Mr. Brown criticized Mr. Nixon, his opponent,
for making a statement on Cuba without the permission of the Presi-
dent.
The innuendo is that the Nixon campaign issued the Prussion book.
It. is clever but a demonstrably false innuendo. It deserves
condemnation under The Code of Fair Practice.
(11) A violation of the fourth principle:
Eugene Wyman, State Chairman of the Democratic Central Committee,
falsely charged on KTTV-TV Los Angeles that Mr. Nixon had once
labeled Harry Truman "a traitor". Mr. Wyman was speaking on behalf
of Mr. Brown's candidacy. Mr. Brown has failed to correct or
repudiate this misrepresentation.
(12) A violation of the first, third and fourth principles:
Mr. Brown has stated repeatedly, as have his campaign associates,
that Mr. Nixon has accused him of being "soft on communism". This
is a lie. Mr. Nixon has stated clearly, emphatically and repeatedly
that he has no quarrel with Brown's loyalty or his opposition to
Communism. This difference is over programs to combat communism
and their appraisal of the severity of the communist menace. Mr.
Brown's misrepresentation of Mr. Nixon's position is a flagrant
violation of Paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 of the solemn pledge which Brown
signed.
We respectfully submit that your Code, voluntarily adopted by Mr. Brown,
should be adhered to by all candidates. Only by your censure of these
flagrant violations by Mr. Brown and his publicists will the Code have the
meaning and value it deserves.
/s/ H. R. Haldeman
H. R. HALDEMAN