Protesters picket South Whidbey Record; decry coverage of Democratic candidate

Supporters of Angie Homola, a candidate in the District 2 race for for Island County commissioner, picketed outside the offices of the South Whidbey Record for the second Monday in a row to protest the newspaper's coverage of the Democratic candidate.

Roughly a dozen protesters gathered on the sidewalk outside the newspaper for about an hour on Oct. 27. They waved Homola campaign signs at passing cars, as well as signs with phrases such as "Twisted Text" and "Facts Not Smears."

The Record has been the subject of criticism from the Homola campaign since Oct. 18, when a story detailing Homola's troubled past as a county employee was published.

The story, based on public records obtained from Homola's personnel file while she was a county worker, detailed Homola's past job performance problems and the letters of reprimand and warning she received from supervisors.

Homola declined repeated requests from the newspaper to talk in detail about her work as a county employee before the story was published. In a campaign ad published in the Sept. 22 edition of the Record, Homola said a "fraudulent paper trail" of her employment was created because she was creating problems for the Republican commissioners' "pro-development agenda."

In the Saturday edition of the Record, a follow-up story based on public records detailed how Homola had asked the county's human resources department to destroy her file, or seal it and give it to her, five days before she became in the candidate in the District 2 race.

Today's demonstration was organized over the weekend. An e-mail sent by Island County Democratic Party chairman Marshall Goldberg to supporters indicated it was Homola who asked supporters to demonstrate on her behalf.

Homola is seeking to unseat 16-year incumbent Republican Mac McDowell.

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