District Attorney candidate speaks out against opponent’s attack complaint

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A new ad created and aired by current New Hanover and Pender County District Attorney Rebecca Zimmer Donaldson calls her opponent Jason Smith “soft” on crime, an ad that Smith says is misleading and must be removed.

Zimmer Donaldson is the Democratic nominee while Smith is the Republican nominee, with Smith serving as an assistant district attorney in the same office.

The new complaint alleges Smith was reluctant to commit crime because he made a deal that allowed an undocumented immigrant to be released from prison before the 13-year-old girl he raped graduated from high school .

During a press conference Tuesday evening, Smith said it is not unusual to reach a plea deal based on the circumstances and that the plea agreement was reached after consultation with the victim and her family.

Smith and 15 others of 21 attorneys who work in the district attorney’s office have signed a petition asking Zimmer Donaldson to remove the ad.

Smith said the ad was an attack on everyone who works in the DA’s office.

“It’s the best prosecutor’s office in the state,” Smith said. “And when you prosecute a particular prosecutor for a particular case for political reasons, it makes the whole office look bad and creates distrust in this community that we have tried to build over the last 20 years.”

Smith said any ads that talk about the candidate’s abilities are fine because it doesn’t spread negativity.

“What we’re talking about are negative ads that have been targeted to gain votes by running negative ads. If you want to stand up here and talk about what you’ve done and how different you are from me, that’s part of a campaign and we understand that. That’s not negativity, that’s telling the public what’s different about you. “

Smith added that the DA’s office had spoken to both Zimmer Donaldson and himself about using their skills, which Smith said he had done throughout the campaign.

WWAY received a statement from Zimmer Donaldson that said:

“Jason Smith has repeatedly claimed to have been the “mini-prosecutor” in Pender County, where his work as prosecutor has had a significant and lasting impact on the people of New Hanover and Pender County. For example, when he was the “mini-prosecutor” in Pender County, 76.9% of all crimes were dismissed and only 13.6% of drug charges were convicted (as opposed to the statewide average of 25.8%). Jason Smith cannot claim to be in charge while shirking responsibility for the decisions made under his watch. Which is it? And why doesn’t he want voters to know the facts about his past?

The reality is that crime is an issue of great concern to our citizens. As District Attorney, I am making real changes to address these issues head on. As a candidate, it is important for me to highlight the differences between myself and my opponent in order to educate voters about their choices at the ballot box. That’s why we launched JasonSmithFacts.com – a resource where voters can read some of his prosecutorial decisions and the consequences they have had on our community.

I look forward to continuing to earn the trust and support of the voters of New Hanover and Pender Counties, and I hope they make their voices heard this election cycle.”