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WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Reynolds camp dismisses three new ads critical of him

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CHARLESTON – Three new ads attack West Virginia attorney general candidate Doug Reynolds, but his campaign discounts all of them.

The first ad, released Oct. 12, was from incumbent Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s campaign. It’s titled “Pinocchio.” The ad, which can be viewed online, compares Reynolds to the famous puppet whose nose grows each time he tells a lie. 

“The ad says Doug Reynolds, like Hillary Clinton, doesn’t know that lying is wrong,” Morrisey campaign manager Kayla Berube said. “Reynolds has been running a very expensive negative smear campaign against Morrisey, yet his attacks against the Attorney General have been found to be untrue.

“Doug Reynolds is a puppet of the liberal Clinton-Obama anti-coal agenda. Liberal Reynolds supports cap and trade and killing coal jobs and has voted to increase taxes and fees on hardworking West Virginians 16 times as a state legislator. Reynolds’ company was sued for stiffing their workers by not funding their employees’ pensions.

“Voters are tired of self-serving politicians like Hillary Clinton and Doug Reynolds who think they can lie their way into office and they know that Patrick Morrisey fights for West Virginia.”

Reynolds’ campaign spokeswoman said Morrisey is the one who should be branded a liar.

“The latest ad released … by Patrick Morrisey is more representative of himself than of his honest challenger,” Lynette Maselli said. “Patrick Morrisey is so desperate, he’s releasing ads that, quite frankly, are laughable.

“We already know that pharmaceutical lobbyist Patrick Morrisey repeatedly lied to the public about his involvement in the Cardinal Health lawsuit, only admitting his involvement to the Lawyer Disciplinary Board after being exposed by the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He has continuously lied about Doug, and now he’s comparing Doug to Pinocchio? Patrick Morrisey is the real life Pinocchio in this race.”

Another ad, also released Oct. 12, again tied Reynolds to Clinton.

The second ad, released by the Republican Attorneys General, is called “West Virginia’s Future,” and it also can be seen online.

“West Virginia’s future is on the ballot this November, and the choice could not be more clear,” RAGA Executive Director Scott Will said. “Doug Reynolds would not stand up to his ally Hillary Clinton and the reason is simple: Reynolds supports Clinton and Clinton supports Reynolds. Clinton raised money for Reynolds’ team and Reynolds is a Clinton donor.

“West Virginia needs an attorney general who will stand up to Hillary Clinton and her anti-coal agenda.”

A third ad released Oct. 12 was from the Mountaineers Are Always Free PAC. It focuses on West Virginia’s drug problem, and it says Reynolds sponsored a bill as a legislator that raised taxes on drug treatment centers because “he’s a tax-and-spend liberal, just like his ally Hillary Clinton.”

Maselli dismissed both the RAGA and PAC ads, calling them “desperate attempts to turn this race around in their favor.”

“Patrick Morrisey’s Super PAC Mountaineers are Always Free, funded by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), dropped two negative, false ads … and increased its spending by another $100,000,” she said. “The reason pharmaceutical lobbyist Patrick Morrisey and his deep pocket, dark money Super PAC are spending so much time and money on false attack ads is because with every passing day, this election is slipping further out of their reach.

“Morrisey has a history of lying to the public while lining his family’s pockets with money from the same drug companies that are ruining our state. Why would anyone think he is telling the truth now, about his opponent.”

Maselli said RAGA has spent $3.5 million on ads against Reynolds. She said Morrisey and his PAC will stop at nothing to try and buy this election again.

“We have serious problems to solve in West Virginia, and we need serious people to solve them,” Maselli said. “Whatever problems we’re facing, I promise you that Patrick Morrisey isn’t the least bit interested in solving them. He’s only interested in making us afraid of them, placing false blame, and advancing his own political career.”

Maselli said the Reynolds campaign has issued a cease and desist order about the latest round of ads.

“Patrick Morrisey goes around talking about character and family values, all while lining his family’s pockets as our children continue to die in record numbers,” said Maselli, who added that Reynolds’ campaign has no federal money coming in to help. “Doug Reynolds is an honest man, who was taught to lead by example and to do the right thing, even when it’s not popular.

“He’s inherited nothing from his family, but has worked hard to build a business and create hundreds of good paying, unionized, West Virginia jobs. We can’t say the same about Patrick Morrisey.

“If you’re looking for a character debate Mr. Morrisey, then I suggest you stick with me, because Doug Reynolds is out of your league.”

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