“Flyer-gate” continues.
In the 8th District, the GOP race for the congressional nomination blew-up this weekend when Amit Singh accused Mark Ellmore of using false statements from the Washington Post and Blacknell.net in one of Ellmore’s mailers. The “mini-saga” has both campaigns making phone calls and answering emails within the 72-hour window before the election when get-out-the-vote efforts are generally at their highest.
Responding to the accusations by Singh’s camp, Dan Tillson, campaign manager for the Ellmore campaign explained how misstatements made it into the flyer.
Tillson writes via email that the literature had at least five versions. The final one was changed on short notice for a next-day mailing; several of the quotes were changed, but errors were not discovered before deadline.
“I recognize that this was also my fault for not catching it,” Tillson wrote. “It was an honest mistake- but one that a Federal Campaign simply should never make.”
However, Tillson also acknowledged that the flyer itself is a reaction to what the Ellmore campaign feels are misrepresentations by Singh.
“He has tried to pin Ellmore as someone opposing a secured border when most Republicans have heard Mark Ellmore talking about securing the border for two years now,” Tillson wrote. “In general, Amit Singh has a record of opposing Republicans. His statement about Gilmore was written this past February and he also opposed George Allen- a race that decided the majority in the US Senate.”
One member of the Singh campaign, who asked to not be identified, did point out that some politics has indeed been played with their characterization of Ellmore’s border position.
“I do not support building a wall on the border, but I do believe in securing the border with a fence” is Ellmore’s entire quote on border security, whereas the Singh campaign has only used the first clause in their literature.
Also this weekend, Singh himself took steps to give his side of the issue via YouTube:
For more, check out Below the Beltway, Crystal Clear Conservative,
George Mason College Republicans, and Rick Sincere.
Also, if you are interested in where the campaigns stand on the issues, please see Blacknell’s review of the race from Friday, which includes two Bearing Drift podcasts with the candidates.
