Flowers vexed by callers
April 19, 2010
By Ginger Gibson
It may only be April, but Chip Flowers, a candidate for state treasurer, thinks nefarious campaign practices are already afoot.
While he was attending an event in Kent County, Flowers said, supporters started to tell him they had received a phone call interrupting their dinner and the caller claimed to be from his campaign.
The number of such phone calls began to grow, Flowers said, and since he hadn’t authorized any phone calls, he became concerned.
He said the callers were identifying themselves as Flowers supporters and then rudely hanging up the phone.
Clearly, it’s an effort to undermine his campaign, Flowers said, and he’s going to pursue this “unethical” activity to its fullest extent.
“We will prosecute vigorously and without mercy,” Flowers said.
Even though the election is months away and low priority compared with the bigger races that will top Delaware’s ballot in November, Flowers said it’s not too early for his opponents to surreptitiously start working against him.
Flowers is currently in a Democratic primary with Velda Jones Potter, who was appointed to the treasurer position after Gov. Jack Markell left to take higher office. Republican state Sen. Colin Bonini is waiting in the wings to challenge the winner in the general election.
Both Bonini and Jones Potter denied any involvement in the dinner-time phone calls.
“It stops, and it stops right now,” Flowers said.
