ABC11 had the story this morning that the PAC, NC Citizens for Progress has an ad out about NC Governor candidate, Pat McCrory. The claim they make is McCrory lobbied for Lending tree and took $140k from the company while Mayor of Charlotte. It would seem they are trying to pull a crony capitalism attack on McCrory. I’m simply shocked that a Mayor would try to keep businesses in our state. If this is all they have, Dalton might as well drop out.
ABC11 reported, emphasis mine:
The Democratic Governors Association is bankrolling a commercial critical of Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory. The group called North Carolina Citizens for Progress produced the ad that launched Friday. A DGA spokesman said the ad buy’s cost is comparable to one for a commercial started this week by the Republican Governors Association, which was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The ad seeks to pressure McCrory to release more information about his financial dealings over the past few years. So far, he’s declined to release his tax returns, and critics suggest that shows he’s had a cozy relationship with large corporations.
“Pat McCrory has been going around the state campaigning on ethics and cleaning up state government and that he’s never had a hint of corruption of conflict of interest but that’s not true,” offered Justin Guillory with Progress NC Action.
The new ad from Citizens for Progress claims McCrory was paid over $140,000 to join the board of Tree.com Inc. while he was in his last year as mayor of Charlotte. Filings with the SEC show McCrory has received more than $300,000 from the company and it has given
The ad goes even further – suggesting McCrory lobbied for Tree.com while he was mayor.
Contacted by ABC11 Friday, McCrory’s campaign disputed that, saying that while he did ask the state to give Tree.com subsidiary tax breaks before he joined the company’s board, he was just trying to get the company to stay in his city as any mayor would.
McCrory’s campaign has sent a cease and desist letter out and stations running the ad immediately pulled it off the air. I’m trying to locate a copy and will update with I have a link. It would seem the ad violates the Federal Communications Act by not running the true sponsor of the ad: The Democratic Governors Association.
I wrote about Progress Action NC activities in the last election cycle and their Tea Party mailer. They were also responsible for the smear videos of Wake County School Board Candidate, Heather Losurdo. You won’t find North Carolina Citizens for Progress by Googling them, because their real name is Progress NC, where Justin Guilleroy is their research and communications director – note he worked for outgoing Governor Perdue and the Left learning Public Policy Polling:
Justin Guillory, Research & Communications Director
For years, Justin Guillory has been observing politics in the Tar Heel State from the inside. Most recently, Justin worked in the Public Affairs Office at the NC Department of Commerce. Before that he was New Media Director for Gov. Bev Perdue in her press office and gubernatorial campaign. Justin has also worked with Public Policy Polling and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.
A UNC-Chapel Hill graduate and Raleigh native, Justin and his wife, Jackie, just had their first baby boy, Jackson. Besides being a political junkie, Justin is a huge sports fan, enjoys cooking, history, movies and playing with his dog, Franklin. Contact him at justinguillory@progressnc.org.
Update: I’ve received the link from the McCrory Campaign to the cease and desist letter which I have also linked above in the appropriate section of the column. It clearly outlines the facts that Pat McCrory was not on the Lending Tree board until the end of January 2009 (was on the board under a year while Mayor) and that he was not a lobbyist for Lending Tree.
Crossposted at Lady Liberty 1885 on May 20, 2012
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