Posted on 11/13/2009 3:16:03 AM PST by Paleo Catholic
When members of the San Bernardino County Libertarian Party elected Matthew Barnes as the group's vice chairman for 2010, they knew he was a registered sex offender.
"The members of the party that voted for him, they voted for him knowing he had completed his time and his punishment and didn't want to hold that against him," said Paul Darr, the county party chairman, who says he's planning a run for the State Assembly. "He completed his punishment by the state and has been reformed."
Barnes, 41, pleased guilty in 1993 to three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, according to court records. The crimes were committed in the summer of 1987, when Barnes was 19.
Barnes did not return messages left with the party chairman.
Court records detailing the specifics of Barnes' offenses were not immediately available. Darr said he did not know details of the crimes. But it likely wouldn't matter, at this point.
"There's nothing that gives us the authority to remove him from his position," Darr said.
He added that Barnes is "not in the position to do any harm to individuals."
Darr appears to be more accepting of Barnes' past than some party leaders.
Michael Mendez, the county party's outgoing secretary, said Barnes is "a nice guy" who has done a lot for the party. But Mendez plans to cut ties to the party when his term as secretary ends in December.
"I'm a deacon of my church," he said. "I work with children. ... I deal with lots of people who would say, 'That's not a good idea, Mike."'
Darr said he hopes having a registered sex offender in a leadership role doesn't give people the wrong impression about the Libertarian Party, which bills itself as "socially tolerant" and "fiscally responsible."
"I hope it would show that members of the party, while being aware of people's past, are willing to take in people that have reformed," Darr said. "Hopefully it's not taken as us harboring criminals."
Jack Pitney, a professor of political science at Clarmont McKenna College, said Libertarian Party members generally don't care enough about winning elections to keep such public relations snafus from happening.
"A lot of people in both (major) parties, and independents as well, have libertarian beliefs, but this is the kind of problem that keeps them from even thinking about the Libertarian Party," he said, noting that Barnes' case is not the first of its kind.
"Not long ago, the Libertarian Party's candidate for lieutenant governor was Norma Jean Almodovar," Pitney said. "She was a prostitute."
I am a conservative Republican with strong libertarian leanings. I disagree with their stand on drugs, abortion, and obviously immigration.
That said, I have to take issue with your stance on this so-called pedophile. The way I read it, there were two teenagers having consensual sex....it just happened that their age spread was too wide. To classify this individual as a pedophile is a corruption of the system. If he was fifty something and she was fourteen, that's different. These kids could have still been attending the same high school.
Who said I am a Republican? Don’t fib to get over the problem you have that your party named a convicted sex offender as a party leader.
Don’t pull out the “religious right” libertarian hate card on me. I don’t think it is wise to give positions of political leadership to convicts but you do which seems like your own personal problem to me. If that makes me “religious right” in the amoral and unethical libertarian wacko world, thanks for the compliment.
Let us call a truce now. I know who you are and you know who I am. We do not share the same ideals, morals, values nor ethics.
Did I say I want you to go with Repubican perverts? Did I say I go with Republican perverts? Seems to me the Republicans do get rid of their perverts rather than make them party leaders, though.
I’m not aware, ever, of the RP ever putting the kabosh on anyone BEFORE they are known to the public. Not one. And especially now in the big tax, big spend, big government, move to the center, Big Tent, Log Cabin( GAY ) accepting Republican Party.
Not that there is a satellite that could give some sort of mathematical reading, but my gut is that weirdos, drunks, pervs are pretty much distributed amongst all the parties, and religions.
Read your party’s platform. And you are right that there are kooks in every party, church, club, school, etc. however, not every political party has a platform where a consensus of kooks comes together to lay it all out like the libertarian party.
You’re kind of catching on to what I’m pointing out. At least the LP is honest, I suppose. Anyways, next year the RP will bring lower taxes, less slave like debts on future generations.......
Right?
At least LP is honest that they are moonbat screaming banchees? Yes, we agree.
As far as the Rino party, who knows what “bi-partisan” damage they will dish out on the Nation. Hopefully we will get fiscal conservatives elected through the RP and other conservative parties. Also I was to see a lot of Rino hunting going on.
Six counts of288a. Children under 14 - this means 13 or younger. A look at Megan’s Law’s website would have told you that. A trip to L.A. to look at the file will tell you they were 12 year old boy scouts in his troop on a camping trip where he was in a leadership role at age 19. Public record.
Why do people always assume that any pedophilia charge is about Romeo and Juliet WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE FACTS?
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