I was talking about my personal indecisiveness regarding the State Treasurer Democratic Primary between incumbent Chip Flowers and challenger Sean Barney with a source. I made the point that Chip is an effective and good retail politician. A real backslapper, not unlike Bill Clinton or Joe Biden in the way he works a crowd. But he has this cloud over him with the past stories of expense scandals, public confrontations with the Governor. On the flip side, Sean is not so good at the retail stuff, but he does have a sense of competence about him, which I value in these ROW offices that should be not be subject to elections. I remarked to my source that I thought the primary was going to be a very close race. My source replied “…. assuming something doesn’t break in, say, the next three weeks.”
Then he said.. “that is foreshadowing.”
That was yesterday.
Former deputy state treasurer Erika Benner has accused her former boss, state Treasurer Chip Flowers, of making harassing and threatening statements in text messages and phone calls after an incident before a July Fourth parade in Dover.
Benner, who lost her treasury job after a controversy involving personal charges on her state credit card, made her allegation to Dover Police on July 6 and again in another report filed last week. Among the personal charges that she reimbursed to the state were October 2011 charges for tickets to a New England Patriots game and a car service in Boston to the event.
Flowers said he has not harassed Benner, and said he’s been the subject of harassing behavior. He has said Benner contacted him after she filed the first claim of harassment. Flowers said he has a video of Benner’s teen son “attacking my car” and screaming a racial slur at him with Benner present. […]
Benner reported that the incident began when her son, who is a minor and is not being named by The News Journal, exchanged words with the treasurer while Flowers was lining up for a July Fourth parade on Hazel Road in Dover.
The July 6 report, written by an officer who misspelled Benner’s name, went on to describe how Benner characterized her communication with Flowers.
“After several hours of texting and talking to Mr. Flowers, Ms. Brenner (sic) related that she instructed Mr. Flowers to stop due to the content of the texts and the calls. Ms. Brenner (sic) related that at one point in the phone call with Mr. Flowers, he told her that if her son approached him again, he would have to defend himself with a gun and he would shoot him in the head if it came down to it,” the officer’s incident report states.
Why is Flowers exchanging words and presumably insults with a teenager? Can’t he just walk away? And if the teenager is causing problems, can’t Flowers call the police himself? Sweet Jesus, enough. And the gun threat? What is this? Goodfellas? The News Journal has copies of the texts allegedly sent from Flowers to Benner:
“Tell him to come to my house,” according to the text Benner provided that she said was sent by Flowers on the evening of July 4. “I picked up something from cabelas last week that should ude (sic) just fine. Tell him I’m begging him. He fu—- with the wrong ni—.” Flowers said he used racial language in his text message because Benner’s son yelled a racial slur at him during the July Fourth incident.
Flowers also provided text messages to The News Journal that he said show Benner attempted to contact him after her initial harassment allegations on July 6.
“Can you please call me when you’re off the phone?” according to the text Flowers provided that he said was sent by Benner on July 22. “I’m in Middletown by myself and have a few hours. I didn’t know if you want to meet for a drink and some food. I’m driving by your house in a few minutes.”
Benner denies sending those text messages to Flowers after her first harassment complaint.
“I have never contacted him since I went to the police department on July 6,” Benner said.
I just knew that Cabela’s was bad news the minute it opened. I’m tired. Aren’t you tired? I’m tired.