FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tricia Donnelly
October 25, 2010 Phone: 301.300.4687
E-mail: info@dancampos.org

DAN CAMPOS RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT OF AMY CASTILLO, M.D.

GAITHERSBURG, MD—District 17 Delegate Candidate Dan Campos received the endorsement of Montgomery County pediatrician and past victim of domestic violence, Dr. Amy Castillo.

The following is a statement from Dr. Castillo endorsing Dan Campos’ candidacy for Delegate:

“I appreciate the willingness of Dan Campos to go to bat for the victims of domestic violence. As a resident of the state of Maryland whose life was turned upside down by domestic violence, I know how important it is to have legislators willing to take the issue seriously and fight for the children of Maryland. I encourage all the constituents in District 17 to send Dan Campos to Annapolis.”

In a widely publicized case of domestic abuse, Dr. Castillo endured the tragic loss of her three young children after they were drowned by their father in a hotel bathroom. During the 2010 Legislative Session, Dr. Castillo testified in Annapolis before the House Judiciary Committee in support of H.B. 700, a bill that would have lowered the burden of proof from “clear and convincing” to “preponderance of the evidence” for obtaining a Final Protective Order in Maryland. H.B. 700 never made it out of the Judiciary Committee. There was only one Montgomery County legislator who voted to kill the bill.

“I am truly honored to have Dr. Castillo’s support. I pledge to be a fierce champion and advocate of women and children’s rights,” said Campos. “Dr. Castillo suffered a tragedy that no parent should ever have to endure and then she went to Annapolis to testify on behalf of domestic abuse victims. Dr. Castillo was treated with disrespect by one Delegate in particular from District 17. There is never any excuse for a legislator to treat a victim of abuse with such disregard.”

Dan Campos has received the endorsements of major women’s groups as well as The Washington Post that stated:

“For the district's third seat, we favor Dan Campos, a young, moderate and energetic Republican whose strong stands on the environment, drunk driving and domestic violence make him a much stronger alternative...”

A former Congressional staffer, Dan is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Dan is a graduate of Gonzaga College High School and holds a B.A. in Politics from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Dan Campos was born in Rockville and is a lifelong resident of Gaithersburg. He assists the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Men’s Emergency Shelter in Rockville by preparing and delivering bagged lunches. Dan also serves as a volunteer for Gaithersburg HELP which provides emergency food supplies to families in need.

Legislative District 17 includes Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Garrett Park.

www.DanCampos.org

Here is the actual letter sent by Sue Kullen, President of the Women Legislators of Maryland to Michael Busch, the Speaker of Maryland's House of Delegates, this past spring, discussing the House Judiciary Committee. Why should a letter like this have to be written? If you've followed the behavior of some on the House Judiciary Committee, much which is documented in posts on this blog, one has to wonder why these offenders should be allowed to continue in their positions. Think seriously about letting them continue working for YOU if they are your delegate.

Not all on the House Judiciary Committee are problematic...there are a few very good delegates on the committee. Start with the list of delegates that voted to kill HB 700 listed on the right sidebar...it is the pompous behavior of some of these people that keep Maryland a dangerous place for women and children. Baltimore leads the nation in the number of rape cases deemed "unfounded," many before even being investigated. Maryland is the only state in the United States that does not allow protective orders based upon the preponderance of the evidence, but only on "clear and convincing" evidence. Not very comforting to many families who have lost loved ones because protective orders were denied. The macho culture of some on the Committee (yes, even from some female delegates) have sought to seemingly bully those who come and try to change things for the better for the women and children of Maryland.



March 11, 2010


The Honorable Michael E. Busch

Speaker of the House of Delegates

State House

Annapolis, Maryland

Speaker Busch,

The Women Legislators of Maryland met recently and discussed issues and negative publicity surfacing from the ongoing actions and perceived culture of the Judiciary Committee. We are a self policing body so individual legislators in our caucus will continue to talk to our colleagues on Judiciary to personally address issues of concern. However, the combination of recent issues has ramped up our concern so we are writing to you to ask for your assistance in the matter.

We are concerned for the House body that the Judiciary Committee continues to be seen as disrespectful to some citizens who come before their committee to share their perspectives on proposed legislation. We shared stories involving disrespect of law enforcement officers from around the State, victims, advocates, and fellow colleagues. The questions from certain members of the Judiciary Committee appear to be more of a ‘cross-examining-gotcha style’ rather than respectful, information gathering questions. This is not to say that probing questions should not be asked. But the tone and style of some members of the Committee have been called sarcastic, rude and insulting, which is inappropriate. There were also questions about time management in the committee that can be perceived as a lack of respect shown to members of the public who wait for hours - sometimes unnecessarily. Obviously, we recognize that it is not always possible to accommodate the schedule of all witnesses given the number of bills being heard on any given day. But, this is a concern that was raised by several members of our Caucus.

The behavior of a few members of this body reflects badly on the entire body of the House of Delegates. We want to be seen as nothing less than respectful to the public.

We would appreciate anything that you can do.

Sincerely,

Sue Kullen

President, Women Legislators of Maryland

cc. Chairman Joseph Vallario

Members of the Women’s Caucus