Salem's Daniel Benjamin and his domestic violence arrest

If you live in Salem's Ward 6, vote for City Council candidate Xue Lor. Unless you want to be represented by someone who isn't embarassed that he was arrested for domestic violence.

Which would be Daniel Benjamin, who has been endorsed by the usual gang of special interests: the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Realtors Association, and Statesman Journal editorial page.

They're pretty much one and the same.

The president and publisher of the Statesman Journal is about to join the Chamber board of directors, and the newspaper obediently endorsed each and every city council candidate being backed by the Chamber of Commerce.

Today the Statesman Journal finally got around to reporting Benjamin's assault arrest.
Download 5-13-14 Benjamin and Lor compete for Ward 6 seat on council

But the candidate has a blemish on his record. He was charged with assault in the fourth degree on Jan. 4, 1993, stemming from a New Year's Eve incident in Multnomah County, according to court records.

Court records show that Benjamin was charged with a misdemeanor assault, but he entered into a diversion agreement with prosecutors and wasn't convicted of a crime.

The diversion agreement included Benjamin performing 16 hours of community service. The case was dismissed.

Benjamin said he was drinking and got into "an altercation" with a former girlfriend. A Gresham Police Department crime report, dated Dec. 31, 1992, states that the victim was punched in the back and ribs and suffered a swollen lower lip.

"I have made some mistakes in the past," Benjamin said. "I am so different from what I was back then."

Jennifer Gardiner, a Marion County deputy district attorney, said diversion is sometimes offered to defendants who don't have serious charges on their record. It would be "very rare" for the Marion County DA to offer diversion to a defendant in a domestic violence case, she said.

The newspaper has had this information since April 28. So it took them two freaking weeks to let voters know highly pertinent information about Benjamin's character. Oh, aside from one hour when a corrected story was put online, then quickly taken down.
Download Benjamin and Lor compete for Ward 6 seat on council

On the Statesman Journal candidate questionnaire Benjamin answered "no" to this question: 

"Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to disclose before it comes up in the campaign?"

Benjamin answered, "None that I can think of." Wow.

Obviously Daniel Benjamin, Ward 6 City Council candidate, doesn't think that being arrested for hitting a former girlfriend in the back, ribs, and mouth is "embarassing information."

Hey, Daniel -- you were arrested for domestic violence. Oregon is one of only ten states that allows a judge to order pre-trial diversion for a domestic violence charge. Lucky you. Otherwise you'd have a domestic violence conviction.

And yes, Daniel Benjamin, what you did was indeed domestic violence. Assaulting an ex-girlfriend qualifies for the non-honor of being what used to be termed a "wife abuser." 

Domestic violence is a term used to describe violence and abuse by family members or intimate partners such as a spouse, former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, or date.

But Daniel Benjamin isn't embarassed by his arrest for domestic violence. Nothing to see here, he told the Statesman Journal. Everything is cool. I'm so different from who I was back then. 

Well, not so different that you are honest enough to inform voters about your girlfriend-hitting past.

But thank you, Daniel, for letting the Statesman Journal know about your current bankruptcy. For some reason this information didn't make it into either the story about you and Xue Lor or the newspaper's editorial endorsement. 

Also Daniel, congratulations on getting the City of Salem to put you on their budget committee even though you are in bankruptcy and haven't been paying your debts to the City. But don't be too proud of this. This is called "political grooming." 

You know, when special interests collude to pad the resume of potential candidates so they will look more appealing to voters. Like putting someone with a domestic violence past, and present bankruptcy, on the City of Salem Budget Committee.

It's easy to get ahead when the Chamber of Commerce, City politicians, and Statesman Journal are pushing you along with their special interest arms, Daniel Benjamin.

I just hope your ride ends with an election loss to Xue Lor.

[Note: As an extension to this post I'm copying in the comments on the Statesman Journal story about Benjamin and Lor. Soon the story will go into the newspaper archives. I want to make sure that the comments live on as a testimony to how disturbing the behavior of both Benjamin and the Statesman Journal was.]

Brian Hines ·  Top Commenter · Portland State University

Oh, I feel so much better about Benjamin now. Instead of being convicted of assault, he essentially got a domestic violence "plea bargain." Benjamin was asked by the Statesman Journal, in its candidate questionnaire, if he had any embarrassing information he wanted to disclose before it came up in the campaign. He said, "No."

I guess Benjamin isn't embarrassed by hitting women in the face and being arrested for this. Most men who are sorry for doing this would be. Shows the character of the guy endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce and Statesman Journal. Hopefully Ward 6 voters will ignore the special interest endorsements and choose one of their neighbors with a lot more honesty and ethics, Xue Lor.

 

Susann Kaltwasser ·  Top Commenter ·Oregon State University

Vote for Xue Lor! The honest hardworking respected candidate.

 

Susann Kaltwasser ·  Top Commenter · Oregon State University

I am not comforted that Benjamin admits to hitting a woman and then instead of taking it like a man, plea bargains it down to community services.

Then I noticed that he has changed his opinion on the Civic Center upgrades too. He once told me he wanted to sell the City Hall building to a developer for condos and then build the whole thing anew someplace else. Since he got the Chamber of Commerce endorsement, he has changed his position to mimic their position. 

He also supports a totally over priced, unnecessary third bridge that would boost local tax bills sky high...another Chamber position.

I am with Xue Lor!

 

Jim Scheppke ·  Top Commenter · University of Texas

Why isn't the Statesman Journal reporting on Benjamin's 2013 bankruptcy in which he was forgiven a $300 debt to the City of Salem, along with about $60,000 of other debts, many to Salem area businesses? Is this the guy voters in Ward 6 want to represent them on the City Council? Vote for Xue Lor.

Terri Moore ·  Top Commenter

My theory is that SJ gets lots of $$$ from advertising with the regional Chamber of Commerce; the Chamber funds and endorses Benjamin through 3 PAC's, so the SJ overlooks certain truths that would steer voters toward Lor. Just a theory.

 

Aileen Kaye ·  Top Commenter · University of Iowa

First, I thank Salem Weekly for exposing the sordid past of candidate Benjamin. The SJ did not do their homework. 

The SJ should apologize for endorsing a really bad candidate in D. Benjamin. Xue Lor is the candidate with the values we want in a Salem City Councilor. But of course, the SJ simply adopted the list of development hogs of the Salem Chamber of Commerce. Shame on the Statesman Journal. The Chamber,/home builders/ real estate developers ensure that their hand-picked candidates have plenty of money, making candidates who would better represent the People underdogs. 

I urge voters in Ward 6 to select Xue Lor for Salem City Council.

 

James M. Schultz ·  Top Commenter ·Portland State University

Why I won't subscribe to the SJ. Their editors (one in particular.)

 

Jim Scheppke ·  Top Commenter · University of Texas

When is the Statesman Journal going to withdraw its endorsement of Daniel Benjamin?

 

Terri Moore ·  Top Commenter

Not until the Chamber of Commerce tells them to, so never. Or maybe too close to the end of the election to make a difference.

 

Sandra Warmbreath ·  Top Commenter

I am astounded that a woman was beaten and her assailant got 16 days community service. That's a violent crime. He just didn't mention it? He says he changed a lot since then but not enough to be honest with voters. I will vote for Lor as I know the City Council is as transparent as sheet of lead. Benjamin is way too cozy with the Chamber of Commerce and other monied interests. Vote Lor!

 

Kit Close · Owner at Ranch Records - Cds, Lps, Vintage Rock Art, Dvds

I've been reading the Statesman Journal for over 50 years. It has never been worse. Hire a local guy to run the paper. Preferably not another Gannett carpetbagger.

 

Lynne Studer · None

I totally agree! I finally got tired of straining my eyes to read unreadable type only to realize I had no interest or respect for what was in print. So I cancelled! Was kind of freeing!

 

Jeff Rempfer · Portland, Oregon

Where's Reid English when you need him!

 

Jim Scheppke ·  Top Commenter ·University of Texas

Where's Charles Sprague or Wes Sullivan when you need him?

 

 

 

Comments

[Evan White]

Change begins when someone admits that they did something wrong and asks for forgiveness. I don't see any from Daniel Benjamin. It is shameful that the Chamber/Homebuilders/Realtors want to foist someone with his ethics on to the voters of Salem?Shame on them! Why should someone who recently walked away from $60,000 in debt be qualified to help manage the City's $450 million per year budget? Why should someone who beats women and attempts to hide it from voters be qualified to oversee the City's Police Department. He should withdraw his candidacy for the sake of our City residents. Evan White