LAGUNA BEACH, CA — In response to recent revelations as reported by the Washington Post that GOP Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated that he thinks Congressman Dana Rohrabacher is being paid by Russian President Vladamir Putin, Democratic Businessman Harley Rouda released the following statement: “According to these revelations, ‘Putins Favorite Congressman’ Dana Rohrabacher, might also be Putin’s favorite employee. Dana Rohrabacher’s devout support of and advocacy for Russia’s brutal regime is widely known, and given the ongoing investigation of Trump’s possible collusion with Russia in the 2016 election along with Rohrabacher’s deep ties to Trump, it’s become abundantly clear that this spider web of ties must be investigated. That’s why today I’m calling on the FBI to do a deep and thorough dive into any and all connections, payments and relations between Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and the Russians. The people of Orange County deserve to know all the facts.”
Today’s announcement follows the release of Rouda’s new, hard-hitting digital video ad , titled “2 Plans,” where he slams incumbent Dana Rohrabacher for backing Trumpcare, also known as the House GOP’s American Health Care Act (AHCA).
Below is a list of recent campaign updates, all of which reflect Rouda’s increasing momentum, including:
- Previously announcing his initial wave of over 100 grassroots endorsements, along with the backing of regional Democratic Party heavyweights like past Orange County Democratic Party Chair Frank Barbaro and former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, among others.
- Releasing his first video ad, titled, Clean House, which garnered national attention in the Washington Post.
- Raising over $200,000 before the March 31, 2017 deadline, as reported by POLITICO and coming in neck-and-neck with incumbent Rohrabacher in Q1, as reported by the Orange County Register.
- Raising the campaign’s first $100,000 in only 12 days since entering the CA-48 contest, as reported by Roll Call.
- Unveiling his initial agenda items for what he plans to address in Washington.
- Publishing an Op-Ed titled, “Time to finally ensure that healthcare coverage is a right for every American” on Medium.com.
- Publishing an Op-Ed titled, “As Rohrabacher fights to revoke women’s healthcare, it’s time we fight to revoke his seat”
- Directly challenging incumbent Congressman Dana Rohrabacher to a series of five debates
- Publishing an Op-Ed titled, “”Protecting our Environment Should Again Be a Bipartisan Issue”
Harley Rouda is a successful businessman who has created several successful companies, and now serves on the board of numerous companies in a variety of industries. Rouda received an MBA from The Ohio State University, and a J.D. from Capital University Law School. He lives in Laguna Beach, with his wife Kaira Rouda, a bestselling author. They have four children.
Active in numerous charities and civic organizations over the years, Harley has been involved in fighting homelessness and domestic violence; active with Human Rights Watch; supporting education for the disadvantaged as well as supporting access to higher education; saving military jobs; and working with civic organizations to drive economic development.
The 48th Congressional District is considered a ripe pickup opportunity for Democrats, as Hillary Clinton won the district by 2%. The district is seen as all the more winnable given that Rohrabacher is an unabashed supporter of Russia’s Putin, and is one of Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress. The 48th Congressional district also had one of the largest swings of any Congressional district in the country from 2012 to 2016, with more than 13 percentage points at the presidential level shifting to Democratic. For more information, please visit www.HarleyforCongress.com. Follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.