NRCC Weekly Rundown: Clinton’s handling of classified info called “extremely careless,” Colleen Deacon flip-flops, and more!
And here’s this week’s 4th of July edition of the NRCC Weekly Rundown:
National: FBI director James Comey blasted Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information during her tenure as Secretary of State, calling her conduct “extremely careless.” Comey’s report also proved that Clinton’s previous statements regarding her email server ranged from misleading to outright lies.
NE-02: Brad Ashford voted against a bill designed to federal employees more accountable in cases of misconduct and mismanagement. Ashford made it clear his priority is protecting government bureaucrats, not making the government work for taxpayers.
NY-03: Tom Suozzi picked an awkward slogan for his campaign: “Gets It Done.” Among the things Suozzi got done during his tenure as Nassau County Executive were a 23% property tax increase, mountains of debt, and a $65,000 pay raise for himself.
NY-19: Zephyr Teachout declined to answer an interviewer’s question on the secret meeting between Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch, saying she had been too busy fundraising to pay attention to the story. You would think someone who portrays herself as a government corruption crusader would use her time to read up on current events involving potential government corruption rather than raising campaign money…right?
NY-24: Colleen Deacon had a record breaking flip-flop, offering different positions on the Syracuse I-81 project in two debates within 24 hours of each other. It’s unclear whether Deacon was pandering to different groups or if she was just completely clueless about the issue.
VA-10: Just a day after Hillary Clinton was blasted as “extremely careless” in her handling of classified information, scandal-plagued Luann Bennett joined Scandal actor Tony Goldwyn to stump for Clinton’s scandal-ridden presidential campaign. That’s a lot of scandal in one room!
NEWS AND NOTES:
Paul Ryan, GOP officials blast Clinton over FBI email findings
A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee predicted the findings would hurt Democrats downballot. “The FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server shows that during her time at the Department of State, Clinton was more concerned with hiding information from the public than she was with protecting our national security,” NRCC spokesman Bob Salera said. “The American people do not trust Hillary Clinton, and down ballot candidates who embrace her broadly unpopular, scandal-plagued campaign will pay the price in November.” READ
NRCC to Baricevic: Return Alleged Straw Man Donations
In the wake of an ethics complaint charging that attorney C.J. Baricevic (D) benefited from straw donations, the NRCC is calling on him to return contributions linked to the allegedly illegal contributions. READ
Eye on NY: Republicans criticize Colleen Deacon for Nancy Pelosi’s support, Democrats fire back
The NRCC claimed Deacon’s comments and the donations she received from Pelosi before the Democratic primary show she would put the House Democratic leadership’s priorities ahead of the district’s. “It should alarm voters that Colleen Deacon could not think of a single issue where she would break from Nancy Pelosi to work in a bipartisan fashion for central New York,” NRCC spokesman Chris Pack said. “If Colleen Deacon and Nancy Pelosi had it their way, they would undo all of the bipartisan accomplishments that John Katko has secured for central New York during his short time in office.” READ
Rep. John Katko: Hillary Clinton not being charged in email probe sets ‘dangerous precedent’
Katko, R-Camillus, said Tuesday that Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, likely acted illegally when she sent classified information using the unsecure email server. “There was sufficient misconduct alleged by the FBI director which, at a minimum, warranted the presentation of this evidence to a jury,” said Katko, a former federal prosecutor. “The law should be applied equally, regardless of political status.” READ
Ashford is not bipartisan
U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford of Omaha should not be returned to office this November.
He won’t stick his neck out and lead on any issue. The proof is the emails I receive from his office. He does more surveys than any other Nebraska elected official I know of. He beats the drum of how “bipartisan” he is, but he is pretending to be a moderate by cherry-picking through his voting record. READ
Stefanik announces $1.4M on hand for campaign
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, on Wednesday announced she had $1.455 million on hand in her campaign fund, as of June 30, and has raised just over $2.2 million in the election cycle so far. This puts her on pace to raise more than $3 million for her re-election bid. READ
A-10 coalition mows down opposition
That’s music to the ears of McSally, who succeeded in getting $100 million added to the House version of the Pentagon budget to replace wings on older A-10s to keep them flying until a new ground attack plane can be developed, perhaps in another 10 years. “It was good to see him say that on the record,” McSally told the Washington Examiner. She said she’s also encouraged by her private meetings with Goldfein. “I look forward to working closely with him to make sure that the critical mission that the A-10 does, not just close-air support but also combat search and rescue are protected until we have a proven, tested replacement.” READ
Porter Ranch gas leak: ‘Make sure that this never happens again,’ officials say
A week after President Barack Obama signed a law that aims to prevent a natural gas leak like the four-month rupture north of Porter Ranch last fall, Rep. Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, stood by the gate of the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility to hail the legislation. “This is a day that we are happy about, but it’s just one of many days to come,” Knight, whose district represents part of the north San Fernando Valley, said as he stood next to a trio of Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council leaders. READ