HD35: "Doctor" Tony Marino hears from the authorities

Kari Chisholm FacebookTwitterWebsite

It seems that GOP legislative candidate Tony Marino has problems worse than bloggers smacking him around.

(Backstory: He's got a bogus "doctorate" from diploma mill "Ashwood University" - and had touted himself as Doctor Tony Marino, Ph.D. all over his now-partially-scrubbed website, AmericaWebWorks.com.)

It seems that State of Oregon is now demanding proof from Marino that his academic credential is for real. From the Oregonian:

On Monday, the state Office of Degree Authorization sent a letter asking him to back up his claim with an official transcript. Oregon is among a dozen states, including Washington, that polices pretty strictly who can claim an advanced degree.

Ashwood University offers all sorts of diplomas, starting at $239, and gives credit for life experience.

"As far as I know, it's a fake," said Alan Contreras, administrator of the Office of Degree Authorization.

Marino, an Internet marketing consultant who co-hosts a weekly show on-line, said he'll remove the references right away. He wants to do the right thing, he said, and did not know he had been violating a state law.

"Obviously, I believe based on my life's experience, and my service to my country and all the other things I've done professionally in my life, I believe I deserve it."

It just gets worse and worse for Tony from Tigard.

And since we're paying so much attention to the Republican, let's show a little love for the Democratic incumbent. Visit Larry's Galizio's website. Make a donation. Show the Republicans that even their "top recruit" doesn't stand a chance against a real progressive - with a real graduate degree.

  • Down'son (unverified)
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    How is it not obvious to everyone that this guy is a total con artist??? Human Garbage if you ask me... And what an annoying voice!!

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    I hate to stomp on anyone's fundraising, but the question has to be asked: given this guy is his competition, does Larry really need the money this time around?

    To me, the guy who needs financial support is Chuck Riley, who holds down an extremely competitive district that is perennially being targeted by Republican big money. In fact, as I recall from the last Washington County Democrats meeting, Larry said the same thing.

  • iwmpb (unverified)
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    Show the Republicans that even their "top recruit" doesn't stand a chance against a real progressive - with a real graduate degree.

    I have to admit that the dog video is one of the funniest things that I've seen in a long time, but, I don't know that I'd call "Dr" Marino the top recruit. Stephen Griffith and John Nelsen are far more impressive, even if their respective districts would be difficult to overcome for a R.

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    Chuck Riley has two opponents in his race. Jeff Duyck, a Republican, and Terry Rilling, the GOP's 2006 nominee who is running as an Independent to the right of Duyck

    It'll be interesting to see how having fairly prominent third-party candidate (fmr mayor of cornelius who got 45% in '06) will affect the outcome of that race.

  • Anonymous (unverified)
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    If he's "Dr. Marino" then I may as well be Dan Marino!

    .....and I'm not!

  • wikiwiki (unverified)
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    "I'm not a doctor, but I play one in Oregon."

    (sorry, couldn't resist....)[:D]

  • bho (unverified)
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    Hey Steve,

    IF you really think Larry doesn't need any money, then you are pretty naive.

    The Republicans have mentioned time and time again that they are targeting not ONLY Chuck Riley, but Larry Galizio as well. The House Republicans will definitely be funding Marino's campaign.

  • Fred Harrison (unverified)
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    Yeah, he sounds like a charlatan...

    Like all the black, Democrat "reverends" that either like to run for POTUS themselves or have their boyz do it. And you people run like lemmings to them... - charlatans.

  • JHL (unverified)
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    Like all the black, Democrat "reverends" that either like to run for POTUS themselves or have their boyz do it. And you people run like lemmings to them... - charlatans.

    What???

    Look Fred, I'm sure that this makes perfect sense in your head. Are you suggesting that there has been some kind of immense groundswell of support for Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton in the last... well... ever?

    If Tony Marino gets elected to the Oregon Legislature in the sense that Al Sharpton was elected President, I'll certainly be pleased at that outcome.

    PS: Check your spelling... no "Z" in "boys."

  • Miles (unverified)
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    Oregon has an Office of Degree Authorization? That's actually funnier than any of the Marino stuff so far!

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    I don't know that I'd call "Dr" Marino the top recruit.

    HAHAHAHAHA! Neither would I. But that's what House GOP caucus leaders were calling him earlier this spring.

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    bho: F you really think Larry doesn't need any money, then you are pretty naive.

    And if you think that an Actblue donation page on a single website is at all significant compared to the lobbyist checks Larry attracts, my naivety is nothing compared to yours.

  • admiral_naismith (unverified)
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    Heh. I was beginning to miss the days of Wes Cooley. Did "Dr. Marino" fight in the Korean war, too?

  • Chester Vestibule (unverified)
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    [Homophobic comment removed - editor.]

  • Chester Vestibule (unverified)
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    [Homophobic comment removed - editor.]

  • bho (unverified)
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    Steve Maurer - "And if you think that an Actblue donation page on a single website is at all significant compared to the lobbyist checks Larry attracts"

    Steve, then vote for Tony Marino.

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    There actually was an immense groundswell of support for Jesse Jackson in 1988, which in certain ways at least prefigured the Obama campaign (positive -- bring people together, Rainbow Coalition; negative -- not really movement building because too focused on personality).

    One key difference ultimately was that Jackson's residual anti-semitism was strong enough that he let it out of the bag, which undermined the Rainbow thing. But I do believe it was genuine and I do believe he was sorry in more than an "I blew it" sense.

    Obama's early difficulty in attracting black voters had something to do with disappointment at the fate of Jackson -- only when Obama did well enough with white voters that they could see him as realistic did the black vote shift over to him.

    Jackson was an associate pastor at the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. He also officiated at the installation of a pastor at a Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. It appears that Fred the Troll is drawing on the usual right-wing smear "sources" for the stuff they make up.

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    Probably nobody is going to read this, as this thread is long dead, but I realize I need to post a retraction.

    While every other Representative attended the Washington Country Democratic Party meeting when they all got up and said that Chuck Riley held the seat most in danger from the GOP, I somehow failed to notice that Larry missed the meeting.

    So it isn't technically correct that he was up there with everyone else. Since he comes so often, I somehow got it mixed up in my mind.

    Still, I think Larry has done wonders for his district, is an excellent campaigner, is more than capable of holding his own, and trust him to come to us for aid if he really thought he was trouble against this charlatan.

    I wish Larry nothing but the best.

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