UPDATED: Lane Turturice Says Endorsement Flap is 'Politically Motivated;' Gilman Responds

Editor's Note: This article was updated at 8:56 a.m. Friday to include a PDF (attached) letter from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #47.

A Washington County judicial candidate who a state police union accused of using an endorsement he never received on campaign literature spoke out Thursday afternoon.

The union representing local State Police troopers said Thursday it did not endorse Republican nominee Lane Turturice. On his campaign website, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #47 is listed as an endorser.

Union Secretary Chuck Frey told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "members never agreed to endorse Mr. Turturice over his Democratic opponent Gary Gilman."

"He spoke to our lodges as many candidates do," he told the Post-Gazette. "We did not endorse him."

Frey, who also serves as a state police corporal at the Uniontown barracks, told the newspaper that union members met Wednesday night and decided to send a letter to Turturice informing him that he was not endorsed and to quit claiming he was.

But Turturice on Thursday afternoon issued the following statement:

"On July 8, 2011 I submitted a letter to the FOP Lodge 47 requesting its endorsement. On Aug. 3, 2011 I interrupted a family vacation to travel back to Washington County to be interviewed by the FOP Lodge 47, a member of the Pennsylvania State Police Association.

"Following the interview, I immediately returned to be with my family on vacation. Within two hours following my interview, I received a phone call and a text message from an Officer of FOP Lodge 47 informing me that the Lodge had endorsed me and that since the Lodge was also a member of the Pennsylvania State Police Association, I automatically had its endorsement, as well.

"Thus, since Aug. 4, 2011 all of my campaign media contained information that I had been endorsed by the FOP and the PA State Police Association. It is awfully ironic that someone waited until just days before the election to bring this issue to light. Janice Crompton, a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette specifically told me that it was my opponent, Gary Gilman that called her this morning about this issue.

"This is a politically motivated attack in an effort to distract voters from the real issue, which is Gilman’s lack of qualifications to be a Judge. This is the act of a desperate man, Gary Gilman, whose candidacy is floundering as a result of embellishing and/or misrepresenting his experience and record to the taxpayers and the Bar Association of Washington County.

"Gary Gilman has made embellishments and or misrepresentations about his experience, as he was never a hearing officer and/or Master in Allegheny County for 11 years. Gary has tried less than 50 cases in his career. Gary Gilman is not a current judge. His wearing a robe in advertisements and literature is a blatant misrepresentation of himself that is intended to deceive voters. Gary Gilman told the Fraternal Order of Police that he does not believe that police officers should have the right to bear arms and protect themselves while they conduct business in the courthouse.

"Gary Gilman does not take serious our Second Amendment rights. I have attached the official documents to prove he is not telling the truth about himself. I am the only true pro-life, pro-Second Amendment candidate with Christian values in the race. Voters need to remain focused on the relevant issues of experience and ending politics as usual in the Washington County Courthouse."

Gilman could not immediately be reached for comment via email or cell phone on Thursday afternoon.

An email sent to a contact at FOP #47 was not immediately returned Thursday.

Reached Thursday, Gilman said:

"I think it's unfortunate that the State police had to do what they did to Mr. Turturice. Sometimes, in the heat of campaigning, wishful thinking replaces careful reading. With respect to my opponent, I have been employed there for 11 years.

"The years Mr. Turturice mentions were just years I was employed as a W2 employee. There were several years, as an independent contractor, I was a hearing officer part-time and master, which equaled full-time. I'm working every day—Turturice chose not to mention that.

"The administrative judge knows this. They have all this information. Also, Turturice has copies of my contract as well. That's where I've been this whole time.

"In the letter that Turturice points out, the administrator's office made a mistake. It should be Nov. 2010 to present (in regard to current employment). Turturice did not make that mistake, but he's chosen not to let people know that."