$1 million ad buy pegs Brindisi as ‘tax and spend’ rubber stamp [updated]

By on August 14, 2018 at 5:00 AM

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC endorsed by leadership of the House Republicans in Washington D.C., has bought $1 million in air time for television ads targeting Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi. The Democrat is running in a closely watched race this November against Republican U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney.

The initial television ad from CLF portrays Brindisi as a “tax and spend” rubber stamp for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and as a member of the Democratic Assembly conference, for ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was convicted on corruption charges earlier this year. Brindisi assumed office in 2011.

The ad also states that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California is “bankrolling” Brindisi’s campaign. Both Pelosi and her leadership PAC gave given money to Brindisi, although the candidate has said that he still won’t support Pelosi as speaker if he’s elected. 

President Donald Trump visited upstate New York on Monday for the first time, and attended a closed-door fundraiser in Utica in support of Tenney.

In an unusual move for a super PAC, CLF has also opened a field office in the 22nd congressional district, which has a a full-time staffer and supervising interns and volunteers. As a super PAC, the group by law has to operate independently of Tenney’s campaign.

Updated:

Ellen Foster, Brindisi’s campaign manager, provided the following response:
 
“This ad is another sign that Claudia Tenney and her corporate donors would rather run on distortions and lies about Anthony than the facts of her own record. The truth is that Anthony has always been an independent voice who works across the aisle to bring jobs to Upstate New York and stands up to party leadership to call out corruption. Divisive Washington politicians who spend more time with corporate lobbyists than regular voters like Claudia Tenney are the reason nothing gets done in Congress. Anthony is running to change that and fight for working families of Upstate New York.”

Here’s the ad.

 

Chris Bragg