State Rep. Mike Hope, a Seattle police officer running for Snohomish County executive, was suspended from his job in 2001 after he tried to persuade a Mill Creek police officer not to arrest his date for drunken driving.

The incident on March 20, 2000, prompted the Mill Creek Police Department to file a complaint with Seattle Police, which led to Hope's five-day suspension.

Hope, 35, said Thursday that he had made a mistake as a young officer and regretted it: "It was a wrong, stupid thing for me to do, and I did it."

Hope was a passenger when police pulled over the car about 2 a.m., records show. Hope said Thursday he and his date had been to dinner and then stopped at a bar to drink beer and shoot pool.

During the stop, Hope identified himself as a Seattle police officer and asked the other officer to let him and his date and another passenger walk home, according to police records. Hope became agitated and began to loudly argue with the Mill Creek police officers, calling one "small town."

According to his disciplinary report, he told the officer he hoped he "did not come to Seattle or need help or a back up." Hope's date was arrested and charged with drunken driving. Hope and the other passenger were released and not charged.

Hope's personnel file states he was suspended for "conduct unbecoming an officer" and misuse of authority.

Hope, R-Lake Stevens, said he had never spoken before about the incident because it happened so long ago. "I was a kid," he said Thursday. "I don't think it was a big deal. I don't think it's a big deal now, either."

Records about the incident were emailed to The Seattle Times on Thursday by Kevin Hulten, a staffer who works for Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, Hope's opponent in November's general election.

Hulten decided to release the information after Hope had issued a news release accusing him of using a fake identity to dig up dirt on him. Hulten said Reardon did not ask him to do research on Hope; he says he did it on his own time.

Reardon, a Democrat, is seeking a third term as county executive. He said he only learned on Thursday afternoon that Hulten was involved in obtaining Hope's personnel record. Reardon said that Hulten, an executive analyst in his office, is not part of his campaign.

The Hope-Reardon race has grown increasingly ugly, with both sides lobbing accusation after accusation at each other. Throughout his run for office, Hope has promised to clean up "corruption" in the county, while Reardon says Hope has lied and distorted his record. Hope suggested this week that Hulten has been behind "multiple frivolous complaints" about him filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Hope went on to say that it appeared Hulten was using the fake name "John Chambers," as well as a fake Seattle address, to hide the source of the complaints. Hope suggested that Reardon's campaign may have stolen the identity of a one-time Florida sex offender named "John Chambers."

"Unfortunately, the residents of Snohomish County have grown accustomed to the ethical lapses in the county executive's office," Hope stated in his news release.

However, The Times located Chambers in Seattle on Thursday. Chambers said that he is not tied to the Reardon campaign, although he knows Hulten and his younger brother.

Chambers acknowledged that he had, in fact, filed complaints against Hope with the state PDC and had obtained Hope's personnel record from the Seattle Police Department, which he had then turned over to Hulten.

Chambers said he and Hulten had talked about politics but that it was his idea to do some research into Hope's background.

"I hate the dirty tricks and I just wanted to look further into it myself," Chambers said Thursday night. "I was not cajoled in any way to do so."

When told that Chambers is not some fictitious person, Hope said he didn't intend to correct his news release.

"I really don't care if he exists," Hope said. "The bottom line is, I think we've proven a point. It was linked back to Aaron Reardon's campaign. Case closed."

Staff reporter Steve Miletich and news researcher Gene Balk contributed to this report. Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com