MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, the Lodi Enterprise reported that a dark money special interest PAC was caught lying to voters in the 14th Senate District, running a false attack ad against Democrat Sarah Keyeski to prop up extremist state Senator Joan Ballweg.
The pro-Ballweg ad falsely accuses Sarah Keyeski of voting to increase her own pay as a member of the Lodi School Board, but here’s the thing: Keyeski has NEVER served on the Lodi School District Board of Education. As the Lodi Enterprise notes, “[Keyeski’s] current campaign for the 14th Senate District seat is, in fact, her first time running for public office.
“Joan Ballweg and her allies are so desperate to distract from her extreme record and disappointing career in Madison that they’ve resorted to outright lies,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Deputy Communications Director Haley McCoy. “The voters of Senate District 14 deserve better than this. If Ballweg has an ounce of decency left, she will join Sarah Keyeski in demanding that her allies stop lying about Keyeski and focus on the issues.”
Read more from the Lodi Enterprise:
Lodi Enterprise: Attack ad falsely claims Keyeski sat on Lodi School Board
By: Jonathan Stefonek
KEY POINTS:
- Spectrum Communications is being asked to pull an ad that has been running accusing Keyeski of malfeasance in a public office she has never held.
- “Keyeski looks out for number one, voting herself a 16 percent pay raise while on the school board!” the voiceover says in the advertisement produced by the Oconomowoc-based political action committee Wisconsin Principles Inc.
- Among the issues in the advertisement is that Keyeski has never served on the Lodi School District Board of Education. Her current campaign for the 14th Senate District seat is, in fact, her first time running for public office.
- Keyeski, through the Lawton Cates Law Office, has requested that the advertisement be immediately pulled from broadcast and for a public statement to be issued, correcting the error.
- “Honestly, this is the worst part of politics, and I think people are really tired of it!” Keyeski said in an email, when asked about the ad. “Voters are choosing to tune out rather than subjecting themselves to the chaos, outright lies, and mud-slinging. I believe politicians should spend less time spreading lies and divisive nonsense and more time uplifting working families, alleviating costs, and protecting individual freedoms.”
- This is not the first instance of a political action committee producing an advertisement with misleading or false information about Keyeski in this year’s campaign season.
- Many area voters received a mailer stating: “State government keeps growing and digging deep in our pockets. Sarah Keyeski thinks you can pay even more!”
- The flyer then shares Keyeski’s personal cell phone number, saying “Call Sarah Keyeski … to let her know we need a break.”
- The flyer was paid for by Jobs First Coalition Political Fund, a Brookfield-based conservative group that also has ties with the former Walker administration, having been named in court filings accusing Walker’s office and outside advocacy groups of illegally coordinating during the 2011 and 2012 recall elections.
