In letter, Patrick defends corporate ties
Democratic candidate for governor Deval L. Patrick sent his supporters a letter yesterday casting criticism of his corporate background as part of ``politics as usual" and a sign that his campaign is ``doing well."
``I don't want to be coy. I was paid well. And I earned it -- by making the companies better, by advocating for more enlightened policies, by acting in whatever I did with integrity," Patrick wrote, referring to his corporate experience with
Patrick's letter was posted on his website a day after Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly questioned the backgrounds of both Patrick and Christopher Gabrieli, the third Democrat running for governor. ``They tell you what they want to tell you," Reilly said in a CBS4 interview Sunday. ``But we have no idea what we're getting."
The corporate experience of Patrick has emerged as a theme in the Democratic campaign in the weeks before the Sept. 19 primary. Patrick campaign spokesman Richard Chacon said the letter was sent to more than 18,000 supporters whose e-mail addresses were given to the campaign either through the website, donations, or pledge cards.
``Some of my opponents want you to think that a Democrat can't stand for both economic expansion and economic justice. I don't accept that and neither should you," Patrick wrote. ``Throughout this campaign I have told you that I do not believe that business is inherently evil. For families and communities to flourish, we need good jobs, and for good jobs, we need strong, healthy businesses. I respect and admire entrepreneurship, and believe we must expand economic opportunity. As governor, I'll use my business experience to do just that."
Patrick also said he is a target because of his success.
`` Be prepared: the better we do, the more negative attacks, distortions, dirty tricks and excessive spending we're likely to see," Patrick wrote. ``All of these tactics are the steady diet of the very politics-as-usual we're fighting so hard to change."
Patrick announced his resignation from the board of Ameriquest's parent company in May. The company agreed to a $325 million settlement this year to answer predatory lending complaints; Patrick said he helped improve the company's behavior.
Separately, the New York-based Campaign to Stop Killer Coke recently announced plans to highlight Patrick's position with Coca-Cola, where he was general counsel from 2001 to 2004. Critics complain that Patrick did not do enough to investigate labor violence allegations in Colombia. Patrick says he did all he could.
The Killer Coke effort has prompted a complaint from Patrick supporters who say it violates campaign finance laws.
Last night, Reilly spokesman Corey Welford dismissed the letter, saying, ``It seems like the same old same old from Deval, a lot of talk with no real answers."
Asked by a reporter to be specific about what Patrick needed to explain more fully, Welford said: ``One example is the $2.1 million severance" agreement that Patrick received when he left Coca-Cola. Patrick ``does not address circumstances around his departure."
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