Orange County’s Democratic party chief says Mayor Teresa Jacobs is “re-writing her own history” on ethics and gay civil rights issues in her re-election campaign.

Party Chairman Carlos Smith this week chided Jacobs for making claims in a recent ad that says she brought a “higher standard and new code of ethics” and for taking credit for passage of a countywide domestic partner registry.

“Her campaign is busy selling a story that doesn’t square with the facts,” Smith wrote in an email blast Monday.

Democrats and some gay rights advocates say Jacobs’ role in the passage of a domestic partner registry was mixed, at best.

Attorney Mary Meeks helped spearhead passage of the ordinance, and she said during that debate, the mayor at various times tried to stall its passage, kill it, water it down and warned it was illegal.

Jacobs eventually voted for it, but Meeks said that even then it was Comptroller Martha Haynie who held a public event to roll it out.

“She cannot get away with now claiming credit for her leadership in passing the DPR,” Meeks wrote in an email.

Jacobs could not be reached for immediate comment.

A spokeswoman for Jacobs’ campaign said later today that the mayor was not going to discuss “every false accusation or inaccuracy that her opponent’s campaign or supporters put out.”

“Sadly, promoting inaccurate information is becoming more and more common in political campaigns,” spokeswoman Wendy Kurtz said. “That is why the Mayor is looking forward to a public debate, where the citizens of Orange County can determine for themselves what is accurate and what is simply false, campaign propaganda.” 

Jacobs’ campaign touted passage of a domestic partner registry and bolstered ethics policies in a recent mailer. In that ad, those were two of the four reasons that former Mayor Linda Chapin cited for endorsing Jacobs.

On ethics, Smith said that Jacobs counts on voters to forget that she and other commissioners paid a civil fine in the “textgate” controversy for violating open record laws by deleting text messages.

“Even Disney couldn’t imagine a fairy tale like this one,” Smith wrote.

Orange Democrats say Jacobs ‘re-writing’ record – Orlando Sentinel.

Orange Democrats say Jacobs ‘re-writing’ record – Orlando Sentinel
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