Jesse Kelly has a funny way of avoiding questions he doesn’t want to answer.
The Iraq War veteran, who is the Republican nominee in the special election next month for Gabrielle Giffords’ House seat in Arizona’s 8th District, is refusing to answer questions from local reporters about an endorsement from a controversial anti-immigration group with reported extremist ties.
In a recent sit-down interview with KGUN9 News in Arizona, Kelly fielded a question submitted by a viewer about an endorsement from the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, or ALIPAC, an anti-immigration group, which Kelly accepted during his unsuccessful 2010 campaign for the same seat. The group again endorsed Kelly last week.
“You accepted the endorsements of the Americans for Legal Immigrations group … Senator John McCain and the Anti-Defamation League have denounced the group for being backed by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and anti-Semites,” anchor Jennifer Waddell asked Kelly, reading the viewer’s question. “Why then did you accept that endorsement?”
“It was in 2010,” said Kelly, who is running against former Giffords aide Ron Barber, a Democrat. “This election is about jobs, and the economy, and lower gas prices. Frankly it’s completely out of bounds.”
After the interview , Waddell reported that
Kelly’s campaign spokesman John Ellinwood berated her about the question, calling it “trash” and “sleaze” and pointing in her face before storming out of the studio.
When KGUN9 posted a preview of the interview noting that Ellinwood had taken issue with the question on Wednesday afternoon, Ellinwood called the studio and complained that Waddell had used “incendiary language,” the station reported. He then cancelled another interview Kelly had scheduled with the station for that afternoon.
Later that same night, Kelly granted another interview to KGUN9, and reporter Marcelino Benito asked again about ALIPAC’s endorsement again — several times. Each time, Kelly gave the same answer:
Benito:Â Â “Do you plan on accepting that endorsement this time around?”
Kelly:Â Â Â “Our campaign is going to stay focused on lower gas prices using American energy, lower taxes, and creating jobs.”
Benito:Â Â “Do you plan on accepting that endorsement?”
Kelly:Â Â Â “Our campaign is going to stay focused on lower gas prices using American energy, lower taxes, and creating jobs.”
Benito:Â Â “So it that a yes or a no?”
Kelly:Â Â Â “Our campaign is going to stay focused on lower gas prices using American energy, lower taxes, and creating jobs.”
Benito:Â Â Â “So no comment?”
Kelly:Â Â Â Â “Our campaign is going to stay focused on lower gas prices using American energy, lower taxes, and creating jobs.”
A video of the exchange is at KGUN9 News.
