DES MOINES, Iowa – AARP Iowa released a statement denouncing Democrats associating the non-profit organization with three different political attack ads.
Brad Anderson, the state director of AARP Iowa, said those ads contain unauthorized statements.
“AARP did not authorize or participate in the production of advertisements by House Majority PAC, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne or any partisan political ads airing in Iowa. AARP has a proud 34-year history of non-partisan voter engagement and does not endorse or oppose candidates, nor does AARP make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. We encourage all Iowans to find out where the candidates stand on the issues they care about so they can make their own decisions in this election,” he said.
Those ads include:
- A House Majority PAC ad targeting State Senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District race
- An ad by the re-election campaign for U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, that targets her Republican challenger, former U.S. Rep. David Young in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District
- A Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ad targeting U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa
The Ernst campaign said that this is not the first time their Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield or her allies have attempted to mislead Iowans.
“Time and again, Theresa Greenfield and her liberal allies continue to get caught spreading false information in a desperate effort to try to confuse Iowa voters,” said Ernst spokesman Melissa Deatsch. “Greenfield’s last campaign ended in felony election fraud and if Iowans see any illegal behavior from Greenfield or her allies, they should contact Iowa’s Secretary of State.”
The campaign today released a web page on its campaign website where Iowans can submit election disinformation.
Iowa Farm Bureau recently debunked a tweet promoted by Greenfield supporters, which said the largest agriculture group in the state was withdrawing their support.
Also, the Greenfield campaign recently featured a photo of Chad Kuntz, his father, and his son at their Oakville farm on a recent direct mail piece in which Greenfield pledged to “work hard for Iowa families and their futures.”
Kuntz told the Washington Free Beacon that he supports Ernst, not Greenfield and that Greenfield’s campaign did not request permission to use the photo.
“Theresa Greenfield has our image on a flyer, but Joni Ernst has our vote. My family will vote that way as well—we’re very strong supporters of her. That flyer is not a genuine depiction of an Iowa farmer who supports Theresa Greenfield. It’s kind of a sham,” he said.
The Young campaign released a statement addressing Axne’s ad.
“Cindy Axne’s record proves that she’s never cared about what’s best for Iowa, and that clearly includes Iowa seniors. Dragging an organization like AARP into the swamp for political gain is just plain wrong, and Iowa seniors deserve better. She should take down her dishonest ads, but Axne has never cared about the truth – she just cares about political gain at any cost,” Andy Swanson, Young’s campaign spokesperson, said.
Update: Ernst, after a rally in Bondurant, shared with Caffeinated Thoughts a blunt assessment of Democrats after the AARP statement.