by Mindy Aguon

Senator Matt Rector is attempting to have a 1983 burglary charge expunged (permanently cleared from his record) in a California court. KUAM News was the first to report Rector's criminal history.

While he refuses to do interviews with KUAM News unless they are live and in-studio, the freshman Democrat policymaker did have plenty to say on his Facebook page, comparing his efforts for working families and his fight against the rich and powerful to the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X, Huey Long and former Guam senator the late Angel Santos.

He failed to disclose the conviction, which he states was a misdemeanor, on an affidavit filed with the Guam Election Commission in July of 2008. The affidavit specifically requires a candidate running for public office to disclose a conviction of a felony or a conviction of a misdemeanor involving criminal sexual conduct or a crime involving moral turpitude. Senator Rector contends he also forgot about his conviction when he applied for a concealed weapons permit.

While he accuses KUAM News of obtaining confidential information, his criminal record is public information. The lawmaker detailed the incident that he says was a "stupid thing to do", saying he had his friends were on Christmas Break and had a few drinks at his house and then walked over to the mall and climbed on the roof. Rector goes on to say that there was an open door that they went in and when they decided to climb off the roof, they were arrested.

The senator states, "We eventually pled guilty to misdemeanor burglary got informal probation and a few hours of community service. Was it a stupid thing to do? Yes, of course! Did I lie on my application for a gun license? No, I don't believe so. It was my understanding that my record was automatically sealed if I kept my nose clean, but I have since learned that I should get the record expunged, which is already in the works."

He goes on to state that he is a "champion for truth, justice and a decent standard of living for all of Guam's families not just the wealthy few and this shameful attack full of lies and deceit will not go unnoticed by the rest of Guam's families."