This image provided by Andrew and Jan Schill is of a political advertisement attacking Jan Schill’s father, McClain County, Okla. judicial hopeful John Mantooth. The ad, which reads “Do not vote for my dad!” and features a picture of the daughter’s family, also highlights cases in which Mantooth has been sued and a website the couple started.(AP Photo/Andrew and Jan Schill)

by SEAN MURPHY

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma judicial candidate is fending off a political attack from his daughter, who has taken out a local newspaper ad urging voters: “Do not vote for my dad!”

McClain County judicial hopeful John Mantooth’s daughter and son-in-law paid for the quarter-page advertisement, which features a picture of the daughter’s family, highlights cases in which Mantooth has been sued and lists a website the couple started, http://www.donotvoteformydad.com.

Mantooth said the bad blood stems from his 1981 divorce from his daughter’s mother.

“This is a family issue which should have been kept private,” he said Monday. “I’m very sad about this. I’m very disappointed. I’m hurt, but I love my daughter, and I want things to get better, and I hope they will.”

Jan Schill, 31, said she never has had a good relationship with her father and doesn’t think he’d make a good judge.

“We just felt like it would be bad if he were to become a judge,” Schill said in a telephone interview from her home in Durango, Colo. “I assumed that he would not appreciate it, but he’s made so many people mad, I’m just another mark on his board of people’s he’s had a beef with.”

Keith Gaddie, a professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, said such campaigning illustrates that “none of us wants our lives too closely examined.”

Here are some excerpts from http://www.donotvoteformydad.com

Worm-ridden Chocolates

by Andrew

I write as the son-in-law of John Mantooth and as an attorney who began my career in District 21.  After careful thought, I cannot imagine staying silent when I weigh the consequences of him sitting in judgment over a community I dearly love.  Though trying to pen down the troublesome legal philosophy of Mr. Mantooth would be difficult, I think an entertaining, but sad story most adequately grasps the essence of this philosophy.

One day shortly before the Christmas of 2004 John Mantooth hurried into my law office with a rusted golden basket.  He quickly handed over his gift and thanked me for the chocolates I had sent him the previous day, and then departed as quickly as he had entered.  As I resumed my lunch with two other local attorneys, I perused the contents of the mysterious golden basket to find a “Law Office of John Mantooth” pocket knife, a scentless bag of potpourri and a cellophane wrapped box of chocolates hastily taken from the inventory of his cupboard.

After a delightful lunch, I unwrapped the chocolates in anticipation of a quick dessert before returning to work.  Also offering a chocolate to one of my friends, I took a quick bite.  However, upon recognizing an unfamiliar and unpleasant taste I yelled in shock for my friend to stop.  My deepest momentary fear was realized when a survey of the remaining chocolate revealed the remains of the numerous worms and weevils that had long ago devoured the aged chocolate.

The following day would find a slightly enraged voicemail from John Mantooth who had discovered that I was under the erroneous assumptions that the gift was for me.  He wanted to clarify that the rusted golden basket, pocket knife, stale potpourri and worm-ridden chocolates were not for me, but were in fact for my wife, his second daughter, for Christmas!  He did not want her to think she was forgotten!  The slight humor I had originally felt quickly turned to anger and a renewed sadness for the years of such indifference my wife had endured.

Back in 2004, I asked Mr. Mantooth what kind of father would give his daughter the gift of worm-ridden chocolates for Christmas.  He offered no reply.  Today, I would suggest that the question the voters of District 21 should be asking is, “if this is what Mr. Mantooth gives to his children, what would he give the people of District 21?”

I would encourage everyone to take even a cursory review of the Cleveland, McClain and Garvin County court records from the past thirty-seven years which would offer a view into the often disturbing and always perplexing legal philosophy of John Mantooth.

Do Not Vote For My Dad

by Jan Schill (formerly Jan Mantooth)

District 21 judicial candidate John Mantooth is not a good father, not a good grandfather and in my opinion a review of his 37 year record as an attorney in Cleveland, Garvin and McClain Counties reveals that he would not be a good judge.

Click the links below for more information:

Caicco v Mantooth – Appeal from Order Admitting Will

Hamilton v. Mantooth- Petition Alleging Fraud

Greer v. Marshall – Motion to Remove Counsel

Mantooth v. Mantooth – Application for Contempt Divorce # 2

Mantooth v. Mantooth – Divorce # 1

City of Purcell v. Mantooth

Sparlin v. Mantooth – 2009

Reading between the lines, as i usually try to do, I think I get the real issue here.  You ready for it???

Jan Schill (formerly Jan Mantooth) does not think John Mantooth would make a good judge.

I think I got this one right!

*Karl Rove would have never thought of this!