Two days after Ring video emerged of him shoving and cussing out an elderly docent during a home tour, Tustin City Council candidate Lee Fink this morning issued an apology of sorts via e-mail.
OC Independent broke the story on Tuesday, October 15, and remains the only Orange County media outlet to report on it.
READ: Video Shows Tustin City Council Candidate Lee Fink Shoving, Threatening Elderly Man
The Fink campaign sent out the “apology” e-mail this morning – complete with a campaign donation link at the bottom – with a written statement and a video of Fink delivering it.
Fink admitted his behavior was “wrong.”
“I saw someone scolding my wife and daughter, who were both upset,” Fink says.
However, the Ring video shows the elderly docent politely asking Courtney Long, Fink’s wife, to simply ensure their toddler didn’t play with any more fragile things, since she had already broken a decorative coral. Neither Long nor her daughter seemed upset. They do appear upset when Fink blows his stack and starts in on the docent.
“And I overreacted,” said Fink.
By “overreacted,” Fink is referring to aggressively berating the docent, then literally getting his face, shoving the elderly man while yelling “You’d better get the fuck away from me, you little piece of shit!” and “You stop fucking around with my daughter or you go down! That’s the way it goes!”
“I want to apologize to that individual and the homeowners involved,” Fink continues.
OC Independent e-mailed Mr. Fink to ask if he actually has apologized to the docent and the homeowners. He’s had plenty of time: the incident took place nearly six months ago. He knows where the homeowners live. The docent would be simple to locate through the Tustin Area Historical Society. It would be a simple matter to apologizing in person for his behavior – rather than wish an apology to them via an e-mail to supporters.
After stock words of appreciation to friends and supporters and his wife, Fink offers a stale serving of trite humility and remorse: “My only goal in running is to make Tustin a better place. I failed that day, but I will try every day to do better.”
Here again is the Ring video, so readers can compare the reality of the incident with Fink’s generous description of his behavior:
