Posted a blog yesterday about a Contra Costa Times fact check of ads for Congressman Jerry McNerney and for his challenger Ricky Gill. Verdict: the Gill ads played looser with facts.
Gill’s Communications Director Colin Hunter responds:
“(1) The ad in question is paid for and authorized by NRCC, not our campaign. We have no control over the content of their advertising. So, (the CoCo times) is not addressing whether Ricky is fudging or not.
”(2) (The CoCo times reporter) posted his “fact-check” without asking us for any information — i.e., it is a “fact-check” based solely on facts provided by McNerney. I sent him a lengthy email, which is copied below, but he basically ignored it.
“1. McNerney’s claims about Ricky.
- “Allowance.” The Stockton Record has already concluded this claim is “false.” http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121002/A_NEWS/210020313
- $40,000 in liens. This is totally false. All but a handful of the items listed occurred before Ricky was alive, applied to a different individual, or applied to an entity in which he is not a partner. (For example, Ricky is obviously not part of his parents’ medical practice, Gill OBGYN.) If you ignore all of the entries that have nothing to do with Ricky, the total is roughly $2,000, none of which is labeled a “lien.” Moreover, of that total, only $538.78 was outstanding, according to the nine-month-old records McNerney cites.
“2. McNerney’s claims about himself. McNerney claims in this ad that he is a “real small businessman,” and on his website that he is a ”small business owner.”
“As a small business owner and father, Jerry knows how much of a struggle it can be to make ends meet during difficult times, and at one point even had to take out a second mortgage to pay for his children’s college education.” http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/index.php/meet_jerry
“However, McNerney reports on his own financial disclosures that he is not a “small business owner” of any kind.
- On McNerney’s 2006 financial disclosures (attached) he reported that he resigned as CEO of Hawt Power, and that his two other entities have been “suspended.”
- McNerney’s entity “HAWT POWER INC.” (he reported on his 2005 financial disclosure) has been suspended by the Secretary of State (attached). See also http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/cbs.aspx.
- McNerney no longer reports any income from a business or even mentions a business on his most recent FY 2011 financial disclosures (attached)
- Disclosure form question: “Did you or your spouse have any earned income (e.g. salaries or fees) of $200 or more during the reporting period.”
- McNerney response “NO“
- Disclosure form question: “Did you hold any reportable positions on or before the date of filing in the current calendar year.”
- McNerney response “NO“
“It would seem that he’s telling voters he is a “small business owner” when he isn’t. He can’t be referring to HAWT, from which he resigned six years ago, and which is now suspended. So, which is it?”
We await the congressman’s response.
