Embattled GOP candidate for governor pushes back on claims of stolen valor

Controversial Washington state gubernatorial candidate Misipati “Semi” Bird pushed back on allegations of stolen valor and military fraud in a statement released to the public Thursday night, referring to those allegations as “unethical election interferences.”

“They are now using the so-called ‘conservative media,’ who openly support Republican Dave Reichert, to perpetuate their vile narrative of ‘Stolen Valor’ and ‘fraud’ to attack the honor and military service of Semi Bird, a decorated combat veteran who received the Bronze Star with Valor device, Purple Heart, and Army Commendation medals for his service during the height of the Iraq war,” Bird’s statement reads.

In reports recently published by conservative radio talk show host Jason Rantz, Bird is shown wearing a Special Operations Diver Badge on his military uniform without having earned it.

Rantz also reported that 63-year-old Bird was given a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand (GOMR) from the Department of Defense for fraud against the U.S. Army and for wearing other badges and awards he was not authorized to wear.

According to the reporting, Bird acknowledged the reprimand by writing that he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions.

“My actions constitute nothing less than a fraud against the United States Army, plain and simple,” Bird wrote.

In Bird’s statement Thursday, the campaign said an investigation was opened into Bird by the Washington State Republican Party candidate committee chair, “rather than uniting with their own endorsed candidate.”

“This investigation stems from a reprehensible article written by Jason Rantz, in which he used mostly anonymous sources and stolen documents to slander and vilify Bird in the court of public opinion,” the statement read.

Bird’s campaign referred to the negative reporting as “the equivalent to a modern-day public lynching.”

In a statement released by GOP Chairman Jim Walsh on Friday, he confirmed the party conducted an investigation claimed that “Bird has become embroiled in controversies created by media allegations about his military service.”

“The WAGOP has been contacted by many people, asking for a clear explanation of the recent media allegations about Bird’s military service,” the statement said. “The Party has investigated the allegations to determine which, if any, can be confirmed. It has contacted relevant military offices and interviewed relevant people, including Bird himself.”

The conclusions from the party, Walsh said, were that “Bird’s receipt of the Bronze Star commendation was in good order,” according to U.S. Army standards.

While Bird wearing “certain ribbons and badges” was found to be in “good order” by the state GOP, the candidate wearing other ribbons and badges was “questionable” and subject of the 2009 General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand issued to Bird, the party said.

Walsh acknowledged that the reprimand was legitimate, as was Bird’s response to it. Walsh also noted that the memo was administrative and did not result in any official punishment.

Bird has claimed that the reprimand memo and his written response were obtained illegally. The GOP said those claims remain unresolved.

“In any event, the WAGOP must accept and work within the political reality that the documents are now public and generating questions about trust in the integrity of the Party’s endorsement processes,” Walsh said.

However, Walsh said the claims that the WSRP would rescind their endorsement of Bird are false.

“The best way for the WAGOP to protect the integrity of its processes is to acknowledge as many facts as we can —even if those facts are difficult — and move ahead in support of Republican candidates,” Walsh wrote.

This is not the first time Bird’s actions have come into question.

Bird has come under fire in his campaign previously for assaulting a sergeant in the Marines during his time in the military, misplacing his service-issued weapon twice while he was employed at the Yakima County Sheriff’s Department, failing to pay nearly $30,000 in child support, falsifying a credit application under his father’s name, and getting recalled by voters from the Richland School Board.

Despite Bird’s endorsement from the WSRP, polling numbers from various sources show Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dave Reichert in a commanding lead above other Republican candidates in the race.

The Washington state primary election is Aug. 6.