Leveraging her own credibility as a veteran, State Senator Wendy Rogers is defending her State House running mate, Steve Slaton, against accusations that his military record is partially fabricated and that he has engaged in a form of stolen valor, claiming to be a combat veteran when nearly all of the evidence indicates that his claims are false.
“Rogers’ pitch is essentially that you know me, you can trust me, and I’m vouching for Steve Slaton and his Vietnam combat veteran status,” said one observer of the primary race, “but Rogers’ problem is that she is vouching for him after Slaton got publicly busted for faking his combat record and producing fake service documents. So Rogers knows she’s lying, she just really wants Slaton in office.”
The fake combat record reference, like the fake service document reference, is to work that veteran’s groups have done to request official copies of Slaton service records, then compare them to the documents Slaton has been waving at campaign events and on social media posts.
Speaking to groups in the district, Rogers has suggested that not only did Slaton participate in combat missions in Vietnam, they were highly classified and their top secret nature is why they do not appear on his service records.
“If there were crazy top top-secret missions, they wouldn’t use a green recruit like Steve Slaton to carry them out. And if they were still so top-secret that the US Government was not acknowledging them, then Steve Slaton and Wendy Rogers wouldn’t be allowed to talk about them. So what game are they playing?” complained the frustrated observer.
According to MilitaryPhony.com, Slaton made up the names of awards that do not exist, and it is possible that Slaton could be in violation of the Stolen Valor Act for claiming combat duty when he did not see combat during his brief three-year enlistment.
Read: Steve Slaton US Army Helicopter Co-pilot Retired Army Vietnam Blog Of Shame
12News reviewed independent documents that confirmed Slaton did not even enlist until after the Vietnam War had ended and had never received any training as a Helicopter Pilot – which directly refutes Slaton’s claim that he co-piloted attack helicopters in the Vietnam War.
The 12News story also interviewed the expert who reviewed Slaton’s file at the request of Rogers. When he ultimately got his hands on the undoctored documents he concluded that Slaton was, in fact, a fraud.
None of this has mattered to Rogers, who has put her own military reputation on the line to endorse and campaign for Slaton, in spite of his dishonesty and doctored file.
Veterans are not happy with Slaton or Rogers. Whether voters in their district will care is something else entirely. Those answers won’t be known until after the July 30th primary election, where Rogers is facing off against State Representative David Cook, and Slaton is facing off against a number of GOP candidates for the two State House seats.
I would prefer David Cook. Wendy is a Flagstaff woman now. LD7 is long and narrow.
Rogers doesn’t even live in the district. She bought a trailer in flagstaff but really lives in chandler on an airport in a million dollar house. Ask yourself. How did a retired veteran get all that money? Funnily she did raise millions to “defund the election” look into her nephews shell company she funnels money through. She’s dirty and only out for herself. And trying to stick us with stolen valor Steve who has more than a few bolts loose. In the slaton fanily the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…..
Next, tell me all about Sen. Blumenthal’s illustrious career in Vietnam again, please.
as an earlier (not much 1971 LamSon 719 Vet) 1974 would have been a dismal place to be sent – more lethal than it had been for awhile – on the run – getting out – no rules – the nation in collapse… does not sound like much fun to be a ‘US Trooper’ in a lost war still in country. I don’t understand what that has to do with being a ‘elected official’
Most definitely a case of “birds of a feather..”.