FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 23, 2011

Contact: Mark Yznaga, 657-4762

SHADE CONTINUES TO PURSUE FRIVOLOUS CHARGES AGAINST TOVO

State Ethics Commission Fines Shade For A Campaign Violation

Randi Shade has filed yet another complaint, this one with the City Clerk, to try to block Kathie Tovo from receiving the
Fair Campaign Funds collected from lobbyist fees and for which she has qualified.

“After the Ethics Review Commission dismissed the complaint, I had hoped that Friday would mark the end of Randi
Shade’s efforts to use various complaint processes to further her own campaign," Kathie Tovo said. "I will not allow my
attention to be diverted by such petty political tactics; I instead look forward to keeping my runoff campaign focused on
the serious issues facing our community and to sharing with Austinites my ideas for how to move our city forward in
positive, productive, and responsible directions.”

The City’s Ethics Review Commission voted unanimously Friday to dismiss Randi Shade’s ethics complaint against
challenger Kathie Tovo.

Tovo, who received nearly 47 percent of the vote in last week’s election, described the Commission’s decision as “a
victory and a vindication.”

Over the last two months the Kathie Tovo Campaign has distributed 75,000 pieces of mail, thousands of leaflets, 2,000
signs, three weeks of television, a dozen print ads, and thousands of emails —all properly identified by campaign
disclaimers.

Shade’s complaint concerns an incident in which a young Tovo campaign staffer inadvertently sent out an email without
a disclaimer. The Kathie Tovo campaign promptly reposted the letter—with disclaimer—on the Kathie for Austin
website along with an explanation.

Around the same period, Randi Shade’s campaign omitted required information on a “robo-call” sent to thousands of
voters, but the Tovo campaign declined to file an ethic complaint in the matter.

The Shade campaign, however, filed a formal ethics complaint against Kathie Tovo on the eve of Election Day.

The Commission ruled 4-0 Friday to dismiss the complaint.

Ironically, even as the City Ethics Commission was tossing out Shade’s complaint, the news media on Friday was
reporting that the Texas Ethics Commission has fined Randi Shade $200 for irregularities related to campaign finance
reports from her 2008 City Council race.

Shade has in the past minimized such campaign omissions—at least when they have been her own. During her 2008
campaign, Shade’s opponent Jennifer Kim filed a complaint —unrelated to those on which the Texas Ethics
Commission just ruled—for a different error related to campaign reports. At the time, Shade’s campaign comptroller
Susan Harry called it “an honest oversight” and her campaign consultant Mark Nathan responded, “Mistakes happen.”
The irony of the current situation is not lost on Austin Post blogger Todd W. who writes, “Given that [Nathan’s 2008]
statement, one may wonder why Shade is now filing a complaint against Tovo. Looking back on an ‘honest oversight’
from 2008 Shade could say that mistakes happen, as the Shade campaign well knows. Perhaps in the uphill battle that
Shade is facing, she might be looking for a little traction.”

This campaign has agreed to comply with the contribution and expenditure limits of the Austin Fair Campaign
Chapter. Political advertisement paid for by Kathie Tovo Campaign, P.O. Box 301464. Austin, Texas, 78703, Joe
Pinnelli, Treasurer.