New ad attacks candidate for assaulting son

WILSONVILLE, Ore. – A new attack ad tries to link a Republican state legislative candidate to child abuse.
 
The mailers sent to voters in House District 26 claim Matt Wingard of Wilsonville hit his 7-year-old son on the head with a screwdriver three times.

Wingard admits he hit his son on the head in 2001 and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault.

KATU asked him about the incident at his home Sunday.

"My son and I were just messing around, I thumped him on the head, something I regretted doing at the time," he said.

He said he was not angry at his son and that it was a "dumb mistake."

The assault charge came in the middle of a bitter custody dispute with his son's mother.

"It was a very acrimonious situation," he said. "There were a lot of false charges being made in a family court battle."

That battle is over. As proof, he showed KATU a letter where his ex-wife wrote: "Matt is devoted to his son." His son also backs him.

The mailers went out to those in his district, which includes Wilsonville, Tualatin and Sherwood. The return address on them is "Future PAC" – a Democratic organization.

Wingard's opponent, Jessica Adamson, said she stands behind the ad.

"This is a community of Saturday morning football games and family dinners and game nights," she said. "I don't believe that Mr. Wingard's actions reflect the community that I know."

Wingard calls it a move of desperation.

"The lies and the smears and the distortions begin," he said.

To his Democratic challenger it is simply the truth.

"As a mother, I think it's important that voters have that information so they can make decisions in this race," Adamson said.

Wingard said he is planning to send out a response to the attack ad to all of the voters in his district.