Riggs Campaign Responds to False Attacks

Cave Creek, Arizona – One of Frank Riggs’ opponents in the Republican gubernatorial primary election has circulated an inflammatory and wildly inaccurate mailer to Republicans statewide. In it, he alleges that Riggs "cites a single vote while he was a Congressman from California two decades ago as his ‘experience’ in fighting illegal immigration." In fact, Riggs, an Army vet, ex-cop and three-term U.S. Congressman, has substantial experience fighting illegal immigration.

These are the facts:

1) Riggs has been on the front lines of law enforcement as a police officer and deputy sheriff. He’s actually worn the badge, put his life on the line, enforced the law, and arrested illegal immigrants for committing crimes!

2) As a Congressman and Vice-Chairman of the California Republican Congressional Delegation, Riggs helped secure the funding to build the fence on California’s border with Mexico which now extends into the Yuma Sector of Arizona’s border with Mexico. Riggs has promised to work with the Arizona congressional delegation to get the funding to secure the Tucson Sector of the border.

3) Riggs introduced and forced a vote on legislation patterned after California’s Proposition 187 to prohibit federal taxpayer benefits for illegal immigrants. That was in 1998!

4) According to Numbers USA, the nation’s largest organization, with two million members, advocating immigration reduction and opposing amnesty, Riggs received a grade of "A" for his congressional voting record. The organization "scored" 11 key votes during Riggs’ three terms in Congress and ranked Riggs on those votes, not on a single vote as his opponent alleged. Riggs’ votes were on congressional legislation to reduce chain migration; reduce refugee and asylum fraud; reduce amnesty entitlements; reduce anchor baby citizenship; reduce illegal immigration rewards; and reduce illegal immigration at borders. Here’s the proof.

The same opponent also claimed in his mailer that Riggs "condemned SB 1070," yet this statement has been on Riggs’ website for months: "I strongly support the provisions of SB 1070 that would allow a local law enforcement officer to detain and arrest an individual when they have probable cause to believe that person is an illegal alien violating our country’s immigration laws. – See more at: On the Issues – Frank Riggs. Riggs also has the endorsement and support of former State Senator and State Senate President Russell Pearce, the principal author of SB 1070!

Riggs’ campaign manager Darcie Johnston said, "It’s disappointing that this opponent has to resort to these attacks which are, to use his own words, ‘not credible.’ True conservatives should be rallying behind Frank Riggs, the only candidate for Governor with both a law enforcement background and the proven record that shows he can be trusted to enforce the law and protect the border as our next Governor!"

See Riggs Campaign Responds to False Attacks.