[ On the letterhead and stationary of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee ]


October 6, 2000

Sang Joo Kim, Chairman
Council for America My Country
965 Clover Court
Blue Bell, PA 19422

RE: Endorsements

Dear Chairman Kim:

The Montgomery County Democratic Committee has supported your organization and its efforts to educate and encourage more Korean Americans to participate in United States politics and exercise their right to vote. We have encouraged our candidates to work with you and participate in your events. We have done this because we believe in encouraging full participation in the political process and because you have repeatedly assured us that the your forums are non-partisan.

It has recently come to my attention that the CAMC Director for Community Relations, Im Ja Choi, is listed as a supporter of Kate Harper, on Ms. Harper's political stationery. In our many conversations you have frequently explained the importance of keeping an open and non-partisan stance, and you have refused to endorse candidates from either party, either personally or on an organizational level. Kate Harper is clearly advertising the support of Ms. Choi, a prominent member of both the Korean community and CAMC, in advance of the public forum to which you have invited both Ms. Harper and the Democratic candidate for the same office - Karen Friedman.

If officers of CAMC are permitted to make personal endorsements, we would like an opportunity to talk with the officers about endorsing Democratic candidates. If officers are not expected to make endorsements of political candidates, I would like to know how you plan to undo any damage done by the literature being circulated by the Republican candidate. This issue reaches beyond the Korean community, as the stationery in question is being used to correspond with all voters.

Every day that this matter is left as is creates a stronger impression of preference for a particular candidate. Please let me know as soon as possible what action, if any, CAMC and Ms. Choi, plan to take.

Thank you for your time and attention.


Yours very truly,

Lynne B. Allen
First Vice Chair



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