Now, these
behind-the-scenes arguments are taking part in out on the airwaves, growing the danger that both Democrat may emerge from the first weakened in opposition to the doubtless Republican contender, Scott Baugh. Baugh, a former Republican lawmaker who got here inside 4 share factors of Porter within the district in 2022, has consolidated a lot of the GOP institution assist and has constructed a struggle chest with a watch towards the overall election.
Min’s advert, which is a part of a six-figure streaming and digital purchase, was launched on Friday.
“Why is Joanna Weiss attacking Dave Min?” asks the advert’s narrator. “To cover the truth that she and her husband made tens of millions defending Catholic monks discovered responsible of molesting youngsters in Orange County — cash that Joanna is utilizing to fund her marketing campaign. These aren’t the values we wish in Congress.”
The advert cites
a report from the Daily Beast that delved into work by Weiss’ husband, lawyer Jason Weiss, to defend the Catholic Diocese of Orange County in a number of intercourse abuse instances.
Dan Driscoll, Min’s marketing campaign supervisor, known as the accounts within the story “as disgusting as they’re disqualifying.”
“Joanna Weiss has run a 100% destructive marketing campaign to cover the truth that she is funding her marketing campaign with cash by means of actually despicable means,” Driscoll stated in a press release. “State Senator Dave Min stands with survivors of sexual abuse and assault and is proud to have 8 payments signed into legislation offering them better technique of safety and justice.”
Weiss’ marketing campaign pushed again in opposition to the allegations within the advert, noting that Jason Weiss primarily represented the diocese on employment issues and didn’t make tens of millions of {dollars} by means of that authorized work.
Whereas Weiss, a former lawyer who based a volunteer political activism group in 2018, has loaned herself vital cash through the course of the race — roughly $230,000, in accordance with marketing campaign finance filings — her marketing campaign stated the cash got here from refinancing her home, not her husband’s earnings.
“Dave Min is resorting to lies to distract voters from his felony historical past and that he can be serving his first time period in Congress on probation,” stated Emma Weinert, Weiss’ marketing campaign supervisor. “Orange County deserves a frontrunner who retains their guarantees and won’t flip to those defamatory, sexist assaults.”
Min was arrested final Could in Sacramento for drunk driving after an evening of receptions with lobbyists. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to a few years probation. He has spoken frankly in regards to the incident as “the worst mistake of my life.”
Electability has been on the coronary heart of the battle between the 2 Democrats vying for the coastal Orange County seat. For months, Weiss’ allies have argued that Min’s drunk driving arrest — which befell in Sacramento after an evening of receptions with lobbyists — is so politically poisonous that his candidacy would provide a pickup alternative for Republicans, who’re principally taking part in protection in key California Home races this 12 months.
Weiss has a robust ally on her facet — EMILYs Listing, a gaggle that helps pro-abortion rights girls candidates. The group has made Weiss a prime precedence for this election cycle and introduced a
$1 million tv and digital advert purchase to spice up her.
Whereas some nationwide Democrats say Min’s arrest stays a priority, he has not seen a serious exodus of supporters. He has touted his early endorsement from Porter, in addition to the backing of the state Democratic Occasion and the endorsement by the Los Angeles Instances editorial board, which each got here after the arrest. Different allies have mounted a vigorous protection of the state lawmaker, together with the board of Democrats of Larger Irvine, who
wrote a letter to EMILYs Listing accusing them of backing a “flawed” candidate.
Main gamers such because the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee have stayed on the sidelines. That has left the Min and Weiss campaigns digging in for trench warfare and making their electability argument on to the judges who matter most: the voters.
