Republican Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone Deschutes County

Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone accepted campaign money from a man convicted of domestic violence against DeBone's political opponent, Amy Lowes.

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Bend real estate broker Peter Lowes pleaded guilty to assault two years ago. On Oct. 17, he donated $2,000 to DeBone, a Republican seeking his third term on the county commission. Amy Lowes is the Democratic candidate in the race.

DeBone said he was aware of the contribution from Peter Lowes, and that the couple was divorced, but insists he didn’t know about the history of domestic violence.

“I’m digesting that concept right now, as you’re laying out this information,” DeBone said when OPB reached him by phone Friday.

“This is a political contribution from a business person in our town that I don't have a relationship with,” he said.

DeBone called back within an hour to clarify: “I’m going to return those dollars. I don’t support domestic violence in any sense. And the conviction is the difference here.”

Amy Lowes was skeptical of DeBone's ignorance: “I find it very difficult to believe that my opponent was unaware,” she said.

“I’m disappointed my opponent would choose to take a sizable donation from my abuser. I never had any intention of politicizing this.”

Democratic candidate for Deschutes County Commission Amy Lowes amyfordeschutes.com

Lowes said she wants DeBone to donate the money to a domestic violence shelter and service provider in Bend, Saving Grace.

She described the attack behind her ex-husband’s guilty plea as “egregious.”

“He climbed over a third story balcony to get to me, because I had locked myself in. I'd barricaded myself in a room. He got a ladder from under the roof of our house, jumped onto the third story balcony, and strangled me,” she said.

Peter Lowes denied attacking his ex-wife, despite pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from the incident. More serious charges against him were dropped as part of that plea. On Friday, he confirmed the donation, and said DeBone's campaign had already called to say it would return the money.

Before now, Amy Lowes has not publicly talked about surviving domestic violence as part of her campaign.

“Because I don't want to share my story unless I can actually do it from a place of helping other survivors, and politicizing my story doesn't feel authentic,” she said.

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