Candidate issues apology after father alleged he lied about credentials

Update Nov. 4 12:22 p.m.:

Democratic state legislative candidate Clyde Shavers posted an apology to his website Thursday night after his father accused him of lying about his military service and misleading campaign language.

“I would like to apologize to any supporter who felt misled by any statement I have made regarding my service record – this was never my intention,” Shavers wrote on his website.

Shavers disputes some of the claims made by his father, while others he explains in more detail.

“No matter what happens and how painful it may be, I will always support my parents,” Shavers wrote.

Original:

The father of a candidate running for a state house seat has alleged that his son lied about his military service among other qualifications in his campaign.

Clyde Shavers, the Democratic candidate for Washington state’s 10th legislative district, has claimed to be an officer serving on a nuclear submarine in the Navy for eight years.

In a letter, his father wrote, “Clyde was never a submarine officer, not even for a day.”

The letter was sent to Shaver’s Republican opponent Greg Gilday.

As election nears, Washington Senate candidates talk about democracy

First reported by the Everett Herald, Clyde’s father, Brett Shaver says that he sent the letter to defend his family’s integrity.

“Clyde’s use of his family’s history and values as a foundation for his credibility and values has gone farther than I can accept,” Brett wrote in the letter.

Other issues brought up in Brett’s letter include his son’s ties to the 10th district, his experience as a lawyer, and his family’s background.

While the language on his campaign website about Clyde’s military service has since changed, he defends his military record.

KIRO Newsradio reached out to Clyde Shaver for comment. In a statement, the Democratic candidate described his father’s allegations as being “inaccurate” and “all about politics.”

In a phone interview with KIRO Newsradio, his campaign manager Andrew Linton clarified, saying he was commissioned as a submarine officer but spent the majority of his time in active duty performing the more clerical role.

“He was commissioned as a submarine officer and completed portions of the training,” Linton said. “During this time, he realized that he was better suited on a different path in the United States Navy and transferred to public affairs.”

When asked, Linton declined to comment on whether previous campaign language was misleading. He said the candidate is still a public affairs officer in the Navy Reserves.

In emails with KIRO Newsradio, Clyde Shavers included a screenshot of a text message purportedly showing his father’s intention to travel to Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. Brett Shavers confirmed to the Everett Herald that he and his wife attended Trump’s speech and marched to the Capitol, but he said they did not break into the building.

The candidate sent the following statement to KIRO Newsradio:

“His political letter is inaccurate and, personally, very painful to me as his son. To be clear, this letter is all about politics. While I haven’t spoken to my father for some time, I know that he was at the Capitol on January 6th – At the time of those texts, I was on military duty in Bahrain. I reached out to my father to let him know that I was safe, and he told me about his intention to travel to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. This is the kind of politics that’s tearing apart families and communities, and my campaign is about healing and moving forward.”

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Brett Shavers for an interview.

In the primary election for the 10th district held in August, Shavers got 51.9% of the vote, while Gilday got 47.9% of the vote.

Follow Sam Campbell on Twitter or email him here. 

Follow @https://twitter.com/HeySamCampbell