Mike Padden

Mike Padden is a lawyer residing in Spokane, Washington and a candidate for the Washington State Senate 4th District election to be held in November, 2012.^[1] He entered the Washington State Legislature in January, 1981, and served there until 1995, when he was appointed as district court judge in the Spokane County District Court.^[2] On June 13, 2006, Padden announced he would not run for re-election as judge.^[3] In 2007, evidence surfaced that Padden used his influence as a judge to help direct more than $7.5 million in fees and interest payments to a former employer.^[4] At Padden’s request, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct has issued a statement confirming that it examined complaints about Padden’s 1999 selection of a former client as the official collection agency for District Court but found nothing to support an ethics violation. The commission typically acknowledges complaints only if it imposes discipline or sanctions. The agency, however, refused to disclose how it arrived at its conclusion or what the initial examination entailed. ^[5]

Outside Spokane, Padden is likely most well known as a "faithless elector", a Presidential Elector who casts his vote for someone other than for whom he has pledged to vote. Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate and incumbent, had lost the 1976 presidential election to Democrat (and former Georgia Governor) Jimmy Carter, and rather than vote as pledged (for Ford), Padden instead cast his vote for Ronald Reagan (who had lost the Republican nomination to Ford earlier that year). ^[6][7]

See also

Biography portal

• Electoral College (United States)
• Faithless elector
• United States presidential election, 1976
• Ronald Reagan

References

1. ^ "List of candidates who have filed to run for political office". The Spokesman-Review. 11 June 2011. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/jun/11/list-of-candidates-who-have-filed-to-run-for/. Retrieved 27 August 2011. 
2. ^ "NHTSA Judicial Outreach Liaisons - National Conference of Specialized Court Judges [ABA Judicial Division"]. American Bar Association. 2000-01-01. http://www.abanet.org/jd/nhtsa/liaison_bios.html. 
3. ^ Camden, Jim (Jun 14, 2006). "District judge to step down". The Spokesman Review. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/jun/14/district-judge-to-step-down/. 
4. ^ Clouse, Thomas (Jan 7,2007). "Judge’s clout cost citizens". The Spokesman Review. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/jan/07/judges-clout-cost-citizens/. 
5. ^ Clouse, Thomas (13 May 2011). "Padden takes on ethics issue". The Spokesman-Review. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/13/padden-takes-on-ethics-issue/. Retrieved 27 August 2011. 
6. ^ Pinkus, Matt (Dec 27, 1976). "Should Presidential Election System Be Reformed?". The Telegraph. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z6YrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3_wFAAAAIBAJ&dq=mike%20padden%20faithless%20elector&pg=7128%2C5158523. 
7. ^ Staff & News Services (Dec 13, 2004). "Washington Officially Casts Its 11 Electoral Votes For Kerry". Komo News. http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4140111.html. 

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