Mitch Perry
David Jolly‘s campaign can’t believe Charlie Crist won’t join them in rebuking an ad produced on his behalf by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
On Wednesday, Team Jolly had an attorney reach out to local television stations in the Tampa Bay area media market, asking them to stop airing what they say is a “deceitful” ad that uses edited photos to physically place Jolly next to Donald Trump, indicating the Congressional District 13 incumbent backs the controversial GOP nominee, when he most decidedly does not.
In their statement on Wednesday, the Jolly team called on Crist to join them in denouncing the ad. Crist did no such thing. So on Thursday they released a short video clip of Crist rather awkwardly addressing the disputed ad at a candidate forum at Eckerd College that took place Wednesday night.
“They have the right to … First Amendment gives them the right to do that,” Crist replies. “And it’s not my campaign, as you said,” he says while pausing. “So, that’s that.”
He is then asked by the panelist if the visual misrepresentation was inappropriate? “I haven’t seen the ad, so in all fairness, I can’t comment.”
“When given the chance to disown it and do the right thing, Charlie Crist chose Washington over Pinellas County,” said Sarah Bascom, spokesperson for the David Jolly for Congress Campaign. “When given the chance to stand up for the community and against the very forces we complain about, Charlie Crist pled ignorance. When given the chance to show true character and civility, Charlie Crist, the self-professed defender of ‘the people,’ revealed that he is OK with deceiving ‘the people’ so long as it benefits himself.”
The Jolly camp again called on Crist to denounce the ad as “deceptive and lying to the people of Pinellas.”
Bascom also referenced an incident during the 2014 special congressional election when Jolly ran against Democrat Alex Sink. That’s when the National Republican Congressional Committee aired a TV ad accusing her of using a state plane while she was Florida CFO. The Tampa Bay Times reported at the time that Jolly had distanced himself from the ad.
Jolly is running for re-election in his 13th Congressional District against Crist. A poll released early Thursday from the University of North Florida showed Crist with a significant 18-point lead over Jolly, 54 percent to 36 percent.
