User:FranDoe16/Julien Pierce

Julien LeTroy Pierce (born December 1, 1958) is an American politician who served as Los Santos County Treasurer and was a Republican candidate for congress in 2002 and Governor of San Andreas in 2013.

Davis City Council
Pierce's first attempt to be elected to political office came in 1981, when he unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Davis City Council. He ran again in 1987, at the age of 29, and was elected, where he served until 2005. While on the city council, Pierce served as the chair of the finance committee.

Los Santos County Treasurer
In 2000, Pierce was elected as Los Santos County treasurer and served until 2002. In his half term as county treasurer, the San Andreas Lottery raised $4.2 billion. Much of the money went to cities and towns in the form of local aid including; $3.2 billion going to Los Santos County. He resigned on August 10, 2002 due to ongoing legal issues.

2002 congressional campaign
In early January 2002, Pierce announced his campaign for San Andreas's 7th congressional district. He campaigned on his strong financial background and past experience on the city council. He was later endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA). Pierce enjoyed a significant funding advantage over his opponents in the early stages of the campaign. Pierce raised $500,000 within three months of announcing his candidacy and went on to raise a total of US$1.2 million, including $250,000 of his own money. Republican donors Charles Munger Jr. and Robert Addison Day also spent $100,000 supporting Pierce through an independent expenditure committee.

In a July 2002 letter to the editor in the Los Santos Meteor, as part of what Pierce later called a smear campaign, the law firm of Duke & Duke Partners alleged that Pierce had used "his position on the city council to promote illicit drug manufacturing and distribution rings" across the city of Davis. The publication said that Pierce had used his position to ensure political safety for prominent drug dealers and was active in the distribution of their narcotics. A formal investigation began by the state Attorney General. In a campaign statement, Pierce responded, "I have never violated any laws, ever".

In July 2002, at the request of the Attorney General, he was charged by the Los Santos County District Attorney with two counts of violating state ethics laws for campaign finance misconduct. On July 1, 2002, Pierce was indicted on multiple firearms charges stemming from an incident when he allegedly stole a firearm from an elderly woman and lied to investigators about it. Pierce pled "not guilty" on all charges on July 28, 2002. On August 10, 2002, Pierce suspended his campaign and resigned as Los Santos County Treasurer due to ongoing legal issues.

2013 gubernatorial campaign
On July 7, 2012, The Los Santos Meteor reported that Pierce was planning to run for Governor of San Andreas. He began quietly fundraising and in early April of 2013, his campaign finance reports showed he had raised $139,434. He announced his candidacy on January 21, 2013, citing job creation and fiscal responsibility as his top priorities.

Pierce's principal opponent was fellow Republican, former movie star and stunt performer Jock Cranley. Pierce was seen as a fiscal conservative and social moderate, while Cranley identified with the right-wing Tea Party movement. Early in the race, Pierce trailed Cranley in public opinion polls. Pierce's moderate views on social issues, personal legal troubles, and past campaign financial violations were unpopular with many Republican voters, who were more enthusiastic about Cranley. On May 16, 2013, Pierce suspended his campaign.