3rd Congressional candidates react to Trump verdict
Following Donald Trump’s May 30 conviction on 34 felony counts, 3rd Congressional District candidate Leslie Lewallen, a Camas Republican, issued a statement calling the trial a “political witch-hunt carried out by a liberal DA and judge.”
Lewallen is a current Camas city councilor and former prosecutor and state Supreme Court clerk. She is running to unseat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania.
“They willingly risked the integrity of our judicial system for political gain, and, in the process, dishonored their offices and the oaths they made when they were sworn in,” she added. “In my opinion, this verdict does nothing to disqualify President Trump from holding office, and I look forward to casting my ballot for him in November.”
Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes last week as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 counts in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor. Trump called the trial “rigged” and the verdict “disgraceful.” He is expected to appeal. The conviction doesn’t bar him from continuing his campaign or becoming president.
Also vying for the seat is Yacolt Republican Joe Kent, who called the trial “the death of our justice system” on The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH in Seattle, shortly after the verdict was read.
“Even if you despise Donald Trump and you really support Joe Biden, you should be outraged right now because this is taking away the ability for President Trump to get out there and to campaign,” he said.
Perez has not issued a statement about the trial, and she recently referred an Axios reporter to a post on X about fish conservation in Southwest Washington when asked about the verdict.
