by Jack Windsor
A source inside J.R. Majewski’s campaign for U.S. Congress told The Ohio Press Network (OPN) that the Associated Press (AP) unearthed a document involving the candidate driving drunk in 2001, the incident refutes a statement the Republican candidate’s campaign made and that the outlet intends to release the new information today.
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The initial AP report claims Majewski misrepresented his military service. The story was met with objection and counterclaims from the Republican—one of those a press conference involving an alleged former Air Force Master Sergeant who not only supports Majewski’s claim he is a combat vet but also said he remembers seeing Majewski in Afghanistan, which, in part, is what the AP story contested.
The AP report states that Trump-endorsed Majewski said he lost rank due to a fight, but Pelletier said that the outlet will report today that the demotion was due to the above referenced incident.
From last week’s AP report:
“There’s also the matter of Majewski’s final rank and reenlistment code when he left active duty after four years of service.
Most leave the service after four years having received several promotions that are generally awarded for time served. Majewski exited at a rank that was one notch above where he started. His enlistment code also indicated that he could not sign up with the Air Force again.
Majewski’s campaign said he received what’s called a nonjudicial punishment in 2001 after getting into a “brawl” in his dormitory, which resulted in a demotion. Nonjudicial punishments are designed to hold service members accountable for bad behavior that does not rise to the level of a court-martial.”
Communications director for the Majewski campaign Melissa Pelletier told OPN it has been falsely insinuated that Majewski has been tight-lipped about his service due to allegations that he misrepresented himself as a combat vet. According to her, within a short period of time the then-airman lost his grandmother, was sent overseas (where it was legal to drink at age 19) while his mom took care of his disabled father stateside, was involved in the nonjudicial punishment above and a fight in the barracks.
Majewski told OPN “As acknowledged, this mistake is now more than 20-years old. I’m sure we’ve all done something as young adults that we look back on and wonder ‘what was I thinking?’ and I’m sure our parents and grandparents share these sentiments. Unlike 82-year-old Paul Pelosi, my drinking incident led to penalty.”
The former airman sent OPN a pay stub that he says proves that he was indeed in combat. IDP, highlighted in the image below, stands for imminent danger pay according to Majewski who said the pay serves as adequate documentation for combat veteran eligibility – “receipt of imminent or hostile fire pay or tax benefits.” The benefit appears to show a $150.00 disbursement to Majewski.
Majewski also rhetorically asked during a call with OPN “how did the Associated Press get a copy of my nonjudicial report? That information isn’t available under a [Freedom of Information Act] request.”
Majewski is engaged in a tight race for the U.S. House to represent Ohio’s 9th Congressional District against Democrat Marcy Kaptur who has been in office since 1983.
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Jack Windsor is editor-in-chief of The Ohio Press Network.
Photo “JR Majewski’ by JR Majewski.
