The campaign of Kentucky Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes has filed a lawsuit to stop Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell’s campaign from distributing a mailer that it says amounts to illegal voter intimidation tactics.
The Grimes campaign on Friday said it had filed for an immediate injunction with the state court in Franklin County, which is where the state capital is located.
The campaign is calling for a state and federal investigation of the mailers that say they’re authorized by the Kentucky Republican Party and the McConnell Senate campaign. The legal filing by the Grimes campaign can be read below, first reported by TPM.
“Of all the terrible things Mitch McConnell has done during this 30 year career in Washington, this last-ditch campaign he authorized to intimidate Kentuckians and prevent them from exercising their right to vote is unquestionably his most despicable,” Grimes campaign manager Jonathan Hurst said.
The mailers have the words “ELECTION VIOLATION NOTICE” sprawled at the top and attack Grimes for spreading “fraudulent” information.
The McConnell campaign and the Kentucky Republican Party have not returned queries from TPM regarding the mailers.
Update: On Friday night, the McConnell campaign dismissed the Grimes court motion as a “publicity stunt.” The campaign tried to turn the issue back on her by pointing to a flyer circulated by the Kentucky Democratic Party which suggests the Republican senator is “leading the effort” to take away African-Americans’ right to vote.
“The only legal question that should be pending in court is the Grimes campaign’s reckless attempt to sow racial division among Kentuckians with false information,” McConnell campaign spokeswoman Allison Moore said. “Their overt targeting of minority voters with false and inflammatory claims in connection with an election must be stopped, and we are exploring all legal options available to do so.”
