Republicans say Democratic congressional candidate Janice Hahn has hit “a new low” by alerting supporters to a conservative ad portraying her as a demonic stripper who is sexually assaulted by “gangsters” with automatic weapons.
Sure, the National Republican Congressional Committee says, the ad is offensive and over the top — its press release calls it a “racist and sexist web ad” — but it makes a good point about the program she supported for gang intervention specialists.
“Are House Democrats using the disgraceful web ad in an attempt to distract voters from Janice Hahn’s reported ties to LA gang members?” the press release asks, linking to a Fox 11 television report about a gang prevention program she supported.
“The investigative report of Janice Hahn’s actions on behalf of dangerous gang members is disturbing enough without the gratuitous and inappropriate images that this web ad contains,” NRCC spokesman Tyler Q. Houlton said in a statement.
Houlton said it was strange for Hahn’s campaign to try to raise money off the “Give us your cash, b—tch!” ad.
“The web ad is vile, it’s disgusting, so why are they trying to raise money off of it? If it’s that bad, why are they sending it around via email to all their supporters to raise money off of it?” Houlton told TPM.
Still, Houlton said the allegations about the program didn’t come to the NRCC’s attention until the Turn Right USA ad dropped this week.
“It kind of got brought to our attention with this,” Houlton said. “Unfortunately the ad that they made is disgusting, but I think when you look at the actual video it’s based off of — there’s a lot of unanswered questions there.”
“I didn’t even link to the ad, we didn’t send anything out with it, what we’re trying to do is say, look, if this is so bad like you claim it is why are you sending it out and trying to raise money?” Houlton said.
Separately, Hahn’s campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Turn Right USA — a “super PAC” based out of a check-cashing store — was colluding with Hahn’s opponent, Republican Craig Huey.
Ladd Ehlinger Jr., the filmmaker involved in the video, said in a statement that he “approached the Huey Campaign about creating viral videos, but grew frustrated by his dithering and his ‘ridiculously expensive’ connections to Sacramento campaign
consultants.”
G. Rick Marshall, who is listed on Turn Right USA’s FEC paperwork, told TPM he wasn’t interested in detailing his involvement with the organization or his personal background.
He also dismissed criticism from Turn Right USA treasurer Claude Todoroff, who told TPM he’s thinking about leaving the organization over the controversial ad.
“He’s just a hired CPA, and he has nothing to do the with organization,” Marshall said. “I’m sure he is considering leaving, the thing of it is he’s just a hired person and if we have to get a new one, we have to get a new one.”
Late update: “Turn Right USA’s advertisement is sexist and racist, it is factually false,” DCCC Western Regional Press Secretary Gabriela Domenzain told TPM. “It is ridiculous that the NRCC is using a sexist and racist ad to make a false point about an issue that further smears Janice Hahn.”
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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