Dems Attack Alleged ‘Lawbreaker’ As They Look To Avoid Disaster In Key CA Race

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — House Democrats’ main super-PAC is making a last-ditch effort to tear down a top Republican running in a key House district.

The House Majority PAC is out with a new ad, shared first with TPM, that attacks former California Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R) for past legal troubles.

“Baugh took illegal campaign cash and was fined nearly $50,000. Career politician Scott Baugh: A lawbreaker we should never send to Washington,” the ad says.

The attack, backed by $650,000 worth of reservations on cable and broadcast TV, looks to knock him down so Democrats can make sure to get a candidate through in next Tuesday’s all-party primary to face Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) in the fall.

To do so, Democrats are keying in on a few old scandals they believe could infuriate voters of all partisan stripes.

In 1999, Baugh agreed to pay a civil fine of almost $50,000 for nine violations of the state Political Reform Act, after a four-year investigation into a political misconduct case that began with his 1995 election, after earlier perjury and campaign finance reporting charges against him were dismissed.

Democrats are worried that Baugh’s strength with Republicans unhappy with Rohrabacher could mean the two Republicans could finish ahead of all the Democrats running and guarantee a GOP victory in the fall. That would put Democrats one seat further from winning the House majority. It’s the seat that Democrats are worried they might get locked out of, though they have varying degrees of worry about four other districts as well.

“With so much at stake, Southern Californians need to know the facts about Republican Scott Baugh,” House Majority PAC Executive Director Charlie Kelly said in a statement. “We’re working to ensure voters know about Baugh’s real record before going to the polls on June 5 and voting in such a critical election.”