Eric Roach claims that he is not a “professional politician” and this might be the most honest claim he has made lately. However, Roach has hired a team of slick, professional political handlers to run his campaign for convicted felon Randy “Duke” Cunningham’s seat in the 50th District.

Yesterday, we posted about an illegal Roach campaign mailer that was going the rounds in the North County. The document, purported to have been written by Roach’s wife, bears no campaign disclaimer nor does it indicate who paid for the document and postage. Violations of campaign law that will no doubt get millionaire Roach’s campaign a stiff fine sometime in 2010 or so.

It should be no surprise that Roach’s campaign is sending out deceptive mailers to prospective Republican voters. After all that seems to be the specialty of the team of right wing pros he has hired to run his campaign.

For example, Roach Coach John Feliz, who is on loan from the perpetual campaign of righty John McClintock, helped our pal John Doolittle (CA-4) get elected with a mailer that gained Doolittle just enough of an edge (3%) to knock out a Republican rival, who was running as an independent. In fact, Feliz’s efforts earned him a fine from the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

Shortly before the election, Doolittle campaign consultant John Feliz coordinated the production of a mass mailer sent on behalf of Doolittle’s Democratic opponent, Jack Hornsby. The consulting services of Feliz and a Doolittle fundraiser, Jim Grubbs, along with 60,000 mailing labels, were contributed by the Friends of John Doolittle Committee to the Friends of Jack Hornsby Committee. The mailer was sent to Democratic households as a tactic to bring Democratic candidate Hornsby into the three-way race with Doolittle and former state Senator Ray Johnson, thus pulling votes away from Johnson to Hornsby for the benefit of Doolittle.

And, then there is Roach’s internet coach, Jeff Evans. Evans has a long history working for rightwing candidates. In fact, Evans is closely associated with the California Republican Assembly, which is flooding the North County with hit piece mailers aimed at fellow Republican Brian Bilbray. Evans’ most recent brush with unsavory campaign practices surround mailers he prepared for a Los Vegas city council candidate, Janet Moncrief. The mailers were sent out under false identities by Evans’ consulting operation.

 
Copies of invoices obtained by the Review-Journal show Evans billed Moncrief twice at her
Las Vegas address.

The first invoice, dated April 1, states it was for printing the “McDonald Union piece,” which portrayed the councilman as anti-union. The flier was mailed to union households in Ward 1.

The second invoice, dated May 14, indicates it was for a printing a flier titled “The Moncrief Conspiracy.”

Evans, who said he was paid by check, doesn’t recall who contacted him about printing the fliers. He said he doesn’t recall who signed the checks. But his invoices are stamped “Paid.”

Eric Roach talks about restoring integrity to congress, but he can’t even run a campaign with any integrity.