JOSH NEWMAN CHALLENGES LING LING CHANG TO “TRUTH OFF” DEBATE

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Fullerton, CA – State Senate candidate Josh Newman today issued an invitation to his opponent, Assemblymember Ling Ling Chang, to join him in a “Truth-Off” debate, to be held at a mutually agreed upon location and moderated by a neutral third party.  Under the format of the Truth-Off, the candidates will be presented with their respective recent negative ads or other campaign materials, and each will have an opportunity to defend or respond to the claims made in them.

The inspiration for the Truth-Off was the Chang campaign’s latest round of television ads and mailers, which massively distort innocuous incidents from more than 20 years ago. In the ads, which lawyers have advised him may rise to the level of defamation and for which multiple “cease and desist” orders have been issued, Chang makes numerous misleading claims, including the demonstrably false assertions that Newman stalked and harassed women, and that he stole confidential police records and letterhead from a former employer. All of these claims are completely untrue, as the Chang campaign has been well aware from the beginning.

In announcing the invitation to the Truth-Off, Newman stated: By now, especially in this election season, most people have become all too accustomed to the sad state of discourse and heavy-handed tactics that have become the norm in politics today.  I’m totally fine with a certain level of rhetoric and hyperbole in campaigns.  It’s a free country and that’s the American way.  If Ling Ling feels the need to inflate her resume and falsify her credentials, that’s her prerogative, as we’ve seen.  But it seems fair to me to draw the line at resorting to defamation and deliberate slander while hiding behind campaign consultants and TV disclaimers.  That’s why I’m inviting Ling Ling to join me, face-to-face and in front of some of the very people we would represent, for a full and unfettered discussion of the facts in our race.  In the words of Justice Louis Brandeis, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.”

For Chang, the “truth-off” will allow her to respond to any claims that Newman’s campaign has made with respect to her own record. It will also allow her to shed light on the numerous instances in which she has been caught lying about her resume or qualifications for office. In recent years, Chang has falsely claimed to have been born in Diamond Bar, graduated from college, and attended Harvard.  For his part, Newman will place in fuller context the “facts” that Chang has been willfully misrepresenting in TV ads and mailers costing over a million dollars over the past several weeks.

About Josh Newman 

Josh Newman is the founder and Executive Director of ArmedForce2Workforce, an organization that assists young veterans returning to the Greater Los Angeles/Orange County area in the pursuit of career-oriented employment upon the completion of their military service.

Josh has a long record of local involvement in community service, which includes serving as: a member of the Executive Board of Neighbors United for Fullerton (NUFF), a co-founder and board member of the Veteran Business Network of Greater Los Angeles, a member of the Steering Committee for the Orange County Veterans & Military Families Collaborative (OCVMFC), and the 1st Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party’s Veterans Caucus.

After graduating from Yale University, Josh served as an officer in the United States Army. His post-service experience, prior to founding ArmedForce2Workforce, has included work in local government, marketing and public relations, film and video production, and executive and consulting positions with a number of technology start-ups. Josh lives in Fullerton with his wife, Darcy, and their daughter.

13 Comments

  1. I am a registered Democrat. I will vote for Hillary Clinton. I will vote for Democrats for any position to the US congress. However, I am very disheartened by the current state in California. I am a small business owner and the Democrat held state congress and governorship has made California a hostile environment for small business owners such as myself. To me, Republicans are repugnant but necessary evil to balance the power at the state capital. I will vote for Ling Ling Chang, not because she’s a good candidate, but because I don’t want to continue to give Democrats a blank check to run the state to the ground.

    • I respect your achievement in being a Small Business Owner and agree with your view on the conditions here in California.
      My questions to you are, have you researched the history of the candidates you are supporting and how are you ok with supporting people who are proven liars and not beneficial to our state or nation because of their actions and poor life choices?

  2. If I were Ling Ling Chang, or her advisors (Ed Royce staffers for certain). I would hit Josh hard on his Veterans scam.

    This is a disgrace NO MATTER what your political party. I would ask Josh to provide EVIDENCE, I would think if he actually helped ANYONE,they would be happy to speak up.

    Providing resume writing services (and claiming it puts Vet’s to work) is akin to faking a Harvard degree in my book. But I don’t suck the D#@k of the far left. Those losers will overlook malfeasense, so as long as it helps them.

    Josh is a CREEP (note: He NEVER denied hitting on those woman), he ran his AMVETS2WORK sham out of his wifes kitchen, and he is unemployed. Not exactly a star candidate for representation……..

    Oh yeah, what does Pacific Life do again?

  3. OC has a point. Has anyone really looked at who he has or has not helped. Many of the questions about his record that were raised months ago were never fully answered. Or rather they were answered by a gimmicky bear suit and a blimp.

    Senate Dems are spending money on this race without really knowing the candidate they are supporting.

    Not a fan of either…I may just abstain than vote for either.

  4. Muckrakers aside, their allegations here are made with great enthusiasm but little proof, Josh Newman strikes me as a quite personable, well meant, mature experienced candidate. This from first hand experience as we frequent the same coffee shop and speak at length often.

    Ling Ling Chang strikes me more as a social media butterfly flitting from one photo op to the next in the attempt to appear as if she is accomplishing something. Her record says otherwise. It is unclear to me what motivates her to seek public office when she lacks the skills required.

    For the record I have been registered as an independent since ’68, abhor the very idea of partisan politics and am comfortable voting my conscience. I have mailed in my ballot having cast my vote for Josh Newman.

  5. Rick,

    Thats the point NO ONE KNOWSHOW MANY VETERANS JOSH ASSISTED.

    I have heard, with no proof a dozen. If so that is alarming.
    I am sure he’s nice as pie, bit so was Hitler I am told.

    I don’t particularly like Ling Ling any more or less than Josh Newman.

    • When I spoke with Josh last summer, he gave me a number of 48 the first year of the charity…I don’t think he keeps the best records and he ought to be using vets he has helped as references for his charity and his campaign

    • Don… Will be more interested in your comments once you return with proof. Yes, Josh is a nice guy… your juxtaposition to Hitler would be laughable were it not so banal.

  6. I have never seen so much nasty mail against a candidate in my entire life. Ling Ling is sending out Hit Pieces after Hit Pieces with Lies. Why is Ling Ling not posting her successes? Does she have any? If you were competent in the Assembly, share that in your mailings, not lies and attacks against someone who has never run for public office, but wants to be of service. Josh is smart and hard working. We need more smart folks in our Senate, not just people who want to post for photos and post on Instagram and Facebook. Why don’t good people go into politics? Because the Republican Party tends to get really nasty with its’ mailing when they think they are going to lose. Debate Ling Ling what are you afraid of? #linglinglies

    • Interesting comment about all the hit pieces Ling Ling has sent out. Like she’s basically saying “Vote for me because I’m not as bad as he is.” Now where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, it’s basically the same platform that Hillary is running on.

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