Bill Binnie, a Republican candidate for Senate in New Hampshire, has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Committee that alleges his Republican primary opponent Kelly Ayotte coordinated an attack ad against Binnie with a conservative group, in violation of FEC rules.
Binnie claimed in his complaint yesterday that Ayotte “unlawfully coordinated” with the conservative group Cornerstone Action to produce an ad attacking Binnie as “shockingly liberal.”
The ad, called “The Feeling Is Mutual,” was produced by Cornerstone Action and the National Organization for Marriage, and attacks him for saying he’s pro-choice and supports gay marriage, among other things.
But Binnie, who calls the ad “false and grossly misleading,” says the Ayotte campaign may have been involved in producing the ad. He cites the fact that Ayotte and Kevin Smith, the Executive Director of the group, were previously colleagues in the New Hampshire state government, and that “a former Ayotte Campaign employee, Harold Parker, filmed some of the footage that appears in Cornerstone Action’s advertisement that is benefitting the Ayotte Campaign.”
“Negative, personal attack ads tarnish New Hampshire’s political tradition,” Binnie’s campaign manager, Bryan Lanza, wrote in a statement. “Bill Binnie wants to talk about jobs and cutting wasteful spending. Unfortunately Kelly Ayotte wants to throw mud.”
Ayotte’s campaign sent a letter to Binnie yesterday in response to the allegations, pointing out that the Chairman of the group endorsed another Republican primary candidate, Ovide Lamontagne:
To claim that we are coordinating with an organization that is led by someone who is actively working against our campaign is not only illogical, but untrue. The facts in this case do not indicate any campaign is coordinating with Cornerstone or the National Organization for Marriage.
Here’s the ad in question:
The latest PPP poll finds Ayotte crushing Binnie 47%-14%, and beating their other primary opponents considerably as well.
Binnie’s full complaint can be read here.
Here’s Ayotte’s full letter:
Dear Mr. Binnie:
I write in response to the false accusations your campaign has leveled at Kelly Ayotte’s campaign.
Your claim that the Ayotte campaign “may have coordinated” this advertisement with Cornerstone is completely and utterly false. The Ayotte campaign learned of the new ad this morning in the New Hampshire Union Leader and first saw it after it was posted online.
As you are aware, the Chairman of Cornerstone, Shannon McGinley, has endorsed Ovide Lamontagne and serves on both his Women Leadership Team and Hillsborough County Leadership Team. Additionally, the Chairman of Cornerstone hosted an event for Lamontagne at her house, and just today Shannon posted on her Facebook page the following statement:
” Ovide Lamontagne for U.S. Senate!! He shares my passion for the sanctity of human life at all stages or status and embraces the sanctity of marriage and that all children deserve a mother and a father.”
To claim that we are coordinating with an organization that is led by someone who is actively working against our campaign is not only illogical, but untrue. The facts in this case do not indicate any campaign is coordinating with Cornerstone or the National Organization for Marriage.
Additionally, your claim that the Ayotte campaign provided footage to Cornerstone is completely false. More than two months ago the The Telegraph of Nashua reported that you expressed openness to a Value-Added Tax. Included in that article was a link to the video in which you say, “I’m for looking at a Value-Added Tax.” Your campaign commented on the video, and was aware it was posted online. The video in question has clearly been available online to the public for months and anyone with a computer and Internet access could download the video.
Instead of launching baseless charges and making threats of frivolous legal action with no basis in fact, maybe you should explain to New Hampshire voters why you support a Value-Added Tax, gay marriage, portions of Obamacare, and oppose the Arizona immigration law.
This campaign should be about issues important to New Hampshire voters. They deserve a dialogue between the candidates that is respectful and based on facts, not baseless accusations. Today we began airing two new television ads that focus on Kelly Ayotte’s record as Attorney General, and will continue to run a campaign that New Hampshire voters can be proud of.
