My previous blog cited a dirty political trick – Democrats seeking out someone with the same name as the Republican Senate candidate and convincing him to run, hoping some of the Republican’s supporters would vote for the wrong guy. My opinion was that, sneaky and underhanded though this was, I didn’t see it as illegal.
This one is another story.
From Nicole Silverio’s article for dailycaller.com:
Maine Voter Claims She Was Duped Into Appearing In Ad Supporting Troy Jackson
A Maine resident alleged Thursday that she was tricked into appearing in an advertisement supporting Democratic Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson.
Laundromat owner Kelly Kusnirak said a videographer interviewed her for what she thought would be part of an advertisement supporting Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, according to footage posted by The Maine Wire. The footage later aired in an ad paid for by the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy (CFFE) in support of Jackson, even though she never agreed to appear in an ad supporting the Maine Democrat.
The article goes on to show chapter and verse of how Ms. Kusnirak was quoted as complaining about affordability in Maine. She did not blame Republican Senate incumbent Susan Collins, whom she supports.
But that interview and her words were then used in an ad against Senator Collins, as if she were the one Ms. Kusnirak was blaming.
Though I am no lawyer, it seems to me that intentionally ascribing someone’s words to the wrong candidate is overtly fraudulent and must be illegal.
But regardless of whether legalities are involved, at the very least it is the dirtiest kind of politics and stinks to high heaven.
If Democrat candidate Troy Jackson were a decent human being, he would immediately disavow this ad which, of course, was run on his behalf.
Will he do so? If I were a Maine voter, that answer would affect my decision on election day.
