IRVINE, CA – Just days before the California Primary, Katie Porter and her Washington insider supporters have been caught in a web of lies about Dave Min. In the most notable example, Google removed an ad promoting a false story about Dave Min for violating the ad network’s “editorial standards.”
Dave Min and Katie Porter are candidates in California’s 45th Congressional District. While the latest ads come from third party groups, the origins of these false, unsourced attacks come directly from Katie Porter’s official campaign website. [Katie Porter for Congress, 5/22/18]
“Katie Porter has shown her true colors by instigating a false negative ad blitz against Dave Min,” said Min campaign manager Paige Hutchinson.
“Unfortunately, this fits a troubling pattern for Porter, who has been lying about Dave Min’s record for months to voters, Democratic delegates and the press,” said Hutchinson. “There are enough liars in Donald Trump’s Washington. Orange County deserves better.”
In the closing week of the campaign, Porter’s Washington allies have released a series of online ads against Dave Min that push false information and violate Federal campaign law and political advertising standards:
#1: FAKE NEWS DARK MONEY ADS PULLED FROM GOOGLE
Mysterious search ads appeared on Google, which promoted a fake news story about Dave Min. The ads did not disclose their sponsor and linked directly to a Huffington Post story filled with baseless allegations against Dave Min. Google promptly removed the ads after being alerted by the Min campaign. Google confirmed, “the ad violated our editorial standards and has been removed.” Failing to disclose an online ad’s sponsor on the advertisement itself or on the ad’s landing page is also a violation of Federal campaign finance law.
#2: PCCC ADS LIE ABOUT DAVE MIN ON HEALTH CARE
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee falsely claims, “Dave Min opposes Medicare for All” without citing any evidence in online ads. Dave Min believes health care is a human right and supports many pathways to achieve universal health care coverage. He has never said he opposes Medicare for All.
The PCCC was previously caught disturbing flyers to delegates at the California Democratic Party Convention that falsely claimed that Dave Min was endorsed by the conservative Blue Dog Caucus.
#3: SUPER PAC ADS LIE ABOUT DAVE MIN ON WALL STREET
The SuperPAC Women Vote! online ads falsely claim, “One of Dave Min’s top sources of campaign cash is Goldman Sachs executives.” and “Dave Min is being funded by Wall Street executives.” In fact, the largest group of contributors to Dave Min’s campaign are employed by the University of California, where Dave Min and Katie Porter are both law professors at UC Irvine. Meanwhile, Porter has received $8,100 from billionaire hedge fund managers, and over $30,000 from the securities and investment industry overall. [Contributors, Open Secrets; Industries, Open Secrets; FEC, 9/30/17, 3/31/18]
These ads are a continuation of a long series of falsehoods that Katie Porter has told about Dave Min on the campaign trail for months. Porter has previously claimed that Dave Min is supported by charter schools, Big Oil and Wall Street, which are all complete fabrications.
Democrat Dave Min is a UC Irvine law professor and economic expert, who is candidate in California’s 45th Congressional District. Min is endorsed by the California Democratic Party, state and local leaders and 13 California members of Congress. Learn more at DaveMin.com.
Editor’s note: It’s a known practice that a candidate only goes negative on an opponent when your positives cannot go higher. Additionally, from a public relations practice perspective, it’s bad form to be the contact on a press release and quote yourself in said press release. I’m posting this press release because I have promised all candidates that I would. But this one leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
As for money Porter receiving nearly $40,000 from hedge fund managers and the securities and investment industry, Min has received contributions from friends in these industries as well — employees of Goldman Sachs if memory serves. If you have a 401K or an IRA, I’m hard pressed to see how Porter’s or Min’s contributions from these industries and professions is problematic — especially in the low numbers we’re talking about here.
I have had extensive conversations with Min, Porter and Brian Forde since the beginning of the year. None of these candidates have uttered a word of rumors, falsehoods, or outright lies they claim each other is doing to me. I have heard them pitch me on why they are the most electable and why they were best suited to beat Mimi Walters. Presumably, these candidates will be candidates for other offices in the future if not elected to Congress. The Negativity will linger far longer than this race.
For each of the candidate’s in CD-45, tell us why you’re better than Mimi. Tell us what ideas you have if elected to Congress. Earn my vote. Stop with the finger pointing and whining about lying because this isn’t kindergarten — you’re running for Congress. Act like it.
