Salon Ignores Allen Critic's Environmental Activism

It appears that North Carolina Radiologist Ken Shelton, who apparently fed Salon a negative story on Senator George Allen just prior to an election is also quite an Environmental Activist, so much so that it may be linked to the only time Shelton has acknowledged donating money to a political candidate.

Friends of the Falls was formed shortly after then Attorney General Mike Easley and Hendersonville attorney Sam Neill recommended that the N.C. Council of State consider invoking eminent domain on land surrounding the waterfalls if suitable protection and public access could not be negotiated.

As noted in the Salon article, Shelton donated $1,000 to a Sam Neill political campaign. Friends of The Falls is an environmental group and according to this website Shelton is one of its leaders. He appears to be very active with the group.

Dr. Ken Shelton then came forward on behalf of the public and a person who has had a chance to spend some time at the DuPont State Forest property and the adjacent land in question.  He stated that three of the most beautiful waterfalls in this entire region are located in the 2,200 acre property that NC General Attorney Mike Easley is trying to keep within the State=s property.  He stated that as he sees it this is a unique, one-time, last chance opportunity that the State and this county could benefit from acquiring this property.  He also requested the Board=s support in the continued effort to try to acquire this property as part of the State Forest.

As you can see through a Google search, the Webb campaign touts environmental protection as one of their strengths.

Along with the tobacco issue mentioned in a previous post, it appears there may be a bit of self interest in Shelton's remembering and taking the time to write down over a period of months memories from over 30 years ago. Given the timing,some may find it difficult to see this as anything other than a political hit with no known sources on record without a political motivation to start the rumor.

Update: The Allen campaign is calling the Salon piece part of Webb's dirty tricks campaign and claims the allegations are false.

Fortunately, we have quite a lot of evidence that his story is categorically false — that this Salon story is evidence of the Democratic Party growing comfortable with the “Swiftboating” tactics they’d previously decried.

Aside from Salon’s own admission that 16 of the 19 people contacted did not remember any evidence of racism from George Allen — in fact, the seven people who knew Allen well during that time period specifically said that “did not believe he held racist views” — we’ve got statements from a great many former peers of Allen that specifically debunk these charges.