Alexandria mayor reprimands vice mayor for using photo with former fire chief in campaign mailer

Outgoing Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson publicly criticized a mailer for Vice Mayor Amy Jackson's mayoral campaign that used a photo of former Fire Chief Corey Smedley with her at a city event.

Wilson said at the end of last night's city council meeting that the integrity of city government is at stake and it should be protected from “the vagaries of politics wherever possible.” Without calling Jackson by name, he described the mailer and said former Chief Smedley did not give him permission to appear in the ad.

“I think the integrity of our government, the processes, are at stake, and one of the things we try very hard to do is avoid politicizing our municipal staff and the work that they do,” he said. Wilson said. “We have an administrative regulation that says our personnel cannot, while on duty and certainly in uniform, participate in partisan political activity. This is a very important rule that we do not violate, and the board members themselves should never be in a situation where this is happening, and they are part of this situation.

He continued:

I have become aware of a political mailer that depicted a former serving uniformed department head and was sent to city voters, implying the endorsement of a city staff member of a candidate to a position in the city. city. It's wrong. This shouldn't happen and no one here should be a part of it. The city government does not support the candidates. Our staff members do not endorse candidates, our city staff members do not use their position in the city to suggest that they are involved in a campaign. We all made an ethical commitment when we took the oath of office on January 22.

Smedley said he did not give Jackson permission to appear in campaign mail. After nearly five years leading the AFD, he left the department earlier this year and was hired to lead the Montgomery County Fire Department.

“I have not spoken to Amy Jackson and given my permission to use my image,” Smedley told ALXnow.

Wilson is not seeking a third three-year term, and the three-way Democratic primary race to replace Jackson will be determined on June 18. In this race, first-term City Council member Alyia Gaskins is leading with fundraising and support against Jackson. and retired real estate developer Steven Peterson.

When asked about the mail, Jackson told ALXnow, “I am proud of my work serving my community. »

Gaskins and Peterson did not respond to calls for comment.