A Republican candidate for the U.S. House from Illinois has apologized for sending out a mailer that suggests his primary opponent condones human trafficking, The Hill reports.
State Sen. Randy Hultgren last week sent out the mailer, which claims that his Republican opponent, Ethan Hastert, “was employed by the same law firm that lobbies on behalf of foreign mining companies with deplorable human rights records and a history of human trafficking.”
Hultgren’s campaign released a statement on Monday saying Hultgren had recorded a robo-call apologizing to Republican voters.
“I believe that this was a mistake as it has taken the campaign discourse away from the issues. Because I did this, I feel that I owe you an apology,” he said in the call.
Hastert’s campaign had lashed out at Hultgren, calling the claim a “vicious lie” and a “personal attack.”
Hastert is the son of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R).
Late update: Hastert’s campaign sent us — and Hultgren’s staff verified — a scan of the mailer in question. See it here.
