Keep Seamus McVey working for Ward 3

A lot has been said recently about how I came to be on the City Council. It has been alleged that I lied about my past. I would like to take the opportunity to address these claims in the recall petition.

Claim 1- "Seamus McVey was elected to the Seaside City Council in 2024 without fully disclosing his past."

Answer- My past has been a matter of public record for a very long time. It is something that I talked about openly and publicly in City Council meetings, the news media, and my professional life. I cannot possibly disclose something that is already public. To do so could be interpreted as bragging. My criminal background is not something that I hid. It is something that gave me the credibility to show that change is possible. Despite having made mistakes, a person doesn't need to be bound by them. Because of the changes that I was able to show consistently over 20 years, the courts found just cause to expunge that criminal background.

Claim 2- "He changed his name from Samuel Condron prior to running, a fact omitted from his campaign website and candidate filing. This prevented voters from vetting his candidacy and discovering his criminal history."

Answer- I did change my name prior to running in 2024, however that change was in progress when I ran in 2022 and both names were on the ballot at that time. Adding my name change to my website wasn't necessary when it was already publicly known. A Google search of my name would have shown that to anyone. It was therefor unnecessary to disclose it again. Name changes are a common occurrence. In my case it was to give separation from my estranged father while honoring my grandfather. My name change was done for personal reasons rather than with some intent to hide what was already public information.

Claim 3- "Under the name Samuel Condron, Mr. McVey was convicted of multiple serious crimes and served prison time."

Answer- As stated above, my background has been a matter of public knowledge for more than 20 years. I took responsibility for my actions, served my time, and completed all portions of my sentence early. I have not reoffended since.

In the more than 20 years since taking full responsibility for my actions, I have changed so much, and worked diligently to help my community. Because of that the courts found it just to remove those charges from my record. In the process of the courts considering expungement, I received letters of recommendation from several people ranging from Seaside's most recent previous mayor, to the former Director of Mental Health and Addictions for the State of Oregon, recognizing the work I had done helping improve the lives of people in Oregon.

Claim 4- "While we believe in second chances, honesty from elected officials is essential. Voters deserve full background knowledge for informed decisions. McVey's failure to disclose his name change and record denied this right."

Answer- I could not agree more that second chances are important, and that honesty from elected officials is essential! I also agree that background knowledge is deserved to make informed decisions. That is why I have spent so many years openly sharing my own background, the mistakes I made in it, and how I have worked to not only make amends in my own case, but helped others make the needed changes to grow and improve their own lives. Compiling a list of my personal faults on my own website wasn't necessary when it was already publicly known. To quote the chief recall petitioner's statement in The Daily Astorian, "That McVey was public about his past is irrelevant." This statement says to me that the recall is not a matter of lacking transparency or integrity, but partisan politics and character attacks.