Friends,
It has come to our attention that Matt Salmon’s opponent for Congress has resorted to dishonest and misleading tactics in an attempt to besmirch Salmon’s longstanding conservative credentials.
Former Congressman Matt Salmon has a proven track record of cutting wasteful spending, balancing budgets and demanding fiscal responsibility. He has been honored by the Citizen’s Against Government Waste as a "Watchdog of the Treasury" and "Taxpayer Hero" for his performance in fighting to reduce the size and cost of government.
Congressman Salmon’s pro-business record also earned him the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce each of his six years in Congress and six consecutive honors as a "Friend of Small Business" from the National Federation of Independent Business. His record of advocating for pro-business policies and fighting to reduce regulations is why he was hired by COMPTEL Inc., a leading telecommunications trade association.
Former Congressman Salmon was hired by the association in 2008. Yesterday, his opponent made an accusation that was called "blatantly false" by the Arizona Capitol Times that attempted to tie Salmon to a contribution made to Hillary Clinton by COMPTEL PAC and its board of directors in 2007 – before Salmon even worked for the organization! Regardless of the fact that contribution decisions are made by the board of directors, Salmon’s opponent has become so desperate to remain relevant that he has chosen to distort the truth to save his failing effort – only backing down when his false accusations are exposed.
This past week the Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, Tom Morrissey, wrote to Adams and Salmon warning, "misrepresentations of records, and character attacks, which are not supported by the record, do a disservice to our entire party and the integrity of both you fine gentlemen."
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident when it comes to Salmon’s opponent using dishonest tactics to try to mislead the voters about his conservative record. Last week, Salmon’s opponent took to using a "push poll" to spread misinformation and deceitful allegations. This tactic was recently made illegal in the state of New Hampshire and is banned under the code of ethics of the American Association of Political Consultants.
We must speak out against these desperate attempts to deceive voters, and set the record straight. No one should be misled by the desperate attempts of a dishonest and failing campaign.
Salmon’s record is beyond reproach:
• As a member of Congress, helped to balance the federal budget for the first time in over a generation
• Rated in the top five among all 535 members of the House and Senate by the Citizen’s Against Government Waste – 6 consecutive years
• Earned Watchdog of the Treasury from the Citizen’s Against Government Waste – 6 consecutive years
• Received the Taxpayer Hero Award from the Citizen’s Against Government Waste
• Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – 6 consecutive years
• Honored as a Friend of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business – 6 consecutive years
• Rated A+ by the NRA, Lifetime member of the NRA
• Rated 100% by National Right to Life
• Endorsed by Club for Growth, America’s preeminent organization to promote prosperity and opportunity through economic freedom
• Endorsed by conservative icons like Senators Tom Coburn (Oklahoma), Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) and John Thune (South Dakota).
These are the reasons why we are supporting Matt Salmon over his opponent. We are confident the voters of Congressional District 5 will see through these deceiving and dishonest tactics and strongly encourage Congressman Salmon’s opponent to run a campaign based on the facts and the issues.
Sincerely,
Gary Pierce, Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission
Mark Killian, Former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives
Chuck Gray, Former Arizona State Senator