Ryan Nicol
The Mario Diaz-Balart campaign is out with a new ad attempting to savage his Democratic opponent over cases taken by attorneys at her husband’s law firm.
The ad is titled “Just Wrong” and takes aim at his only declared opponent, Mary Barzee Flores. The ad focuses on her previous opposition to increased sanctions on Iran following U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
“Why does Mary Barzee Flores strongly oppose sanctions on the terrorist anti-American regime in Iran?,” asks the ad’s narrator.
“Could it have to do with her household income? At BarzeeFlores.com the firm brags of handling international arms conspiracy cases.”
That’s a reference to the website of the law firm where Barzee Flores’ husband, Hector, works.
“They boast about defending criminals that arranged millions of dollars of arms shipments to Iran in violation of the U.S. arms embargo. Making money at the expense of our national security, and now wanting to represent us in Congress, is just wrong.”
The firm does list those items among the many cases its lawyers have handled, though it’s not clear anyone is “boasting” about them.
POLITICO Playbook Florida’s recap of the ad also included this note: “Of course, law firms defend the accused as part of our justice system. So expect some umbrage from Barzee Flores and lawyers in general.”
Barzee Flores responded to the ad on Twitter, taking shots at Diaz-Balart’s record in Congress.
.@mariodb’s 1st ad is an attack on my family
Why?
B/c after 30yrs in office, here’s his record:
✅ repeated votes to strip healthcare
✅ raising the cost of Rx drugs while raking in $$$ from Big Pharma
✅ no significant bills passed
✅ millions in corporate PAC $ raised— Mary Barzee Flores (@BarzeeFlores) July 18, 2018
Time will tell if the attack ad against Barzee Flores will stick. Diaz-Balart has held the seat in Florida’s 25th Congressional District comfortably for years. As of now, prognosticators predict that will continue.
Watch Diaz-Balart’s new ad below.
