HORN HYPOCRISY ALERT! FOLLOWING THE MONEY

For Immediate Release
October 3, 2008

Katie List
(603) 219-6391
 
HORN HYPOCRISY ALERT!
FOLLOWING THE MONEY
 
When Jennifer Horn Starts Talking About Where Other People's Contributions Come From, Be Careful - There's a Long History of Hypocrisy There

(CONCORD) Today, Jennifer Horn released her first ad of the general election.  Does she talk about her vision for New Hampshire?  No.  She attacks Paul Hodes in an attempt to distract from own record of funding her campaign through special interests.

This isn't the first time Jennifer Horn, who has said that she "stands on the Republican platform without reservation," has accused one of her opponents of funding their campaign through means that she deems improper, while at the same time or subsequently employing those exact same means of funding her own campaign.

"Jennifer Horn accused one of her primary opponents of trying to buy the election by loaning himself campaign money, and then she reached into her own pocket to loan her campaign $175,000.  Now she's using her first ad to attack Paul Hodes about special interests, right after she teamed up with one of the biggest special interests of all, the National Republican Congressional Committee, to jointly pay for a poll," said Raymond Buckley, Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. "Jennifer Horn will say or do anything to get elected.  That isn't a change - that's politics as usual."  

Horn Hypocrisy: Lobbyist Contributions

On April 1st, 2008, Horn issued a press release calling on State Senator Bob Clegg, one of her opponents in the Republican primary, to return money that he had received from state lobbyists.  [Horn Release, 4/1/08].  The only problem: Horn herself had taken $4,600 from a registered lobbyist from New York.  Another of her primary opponents, Grant Bosse, issued a release saying: "We shouldn't be surprised that our self-proclaimed front-runner wants other candidates to return lobbyists' contributions while she cashes their checks.  Whether the issue has been taxes, earmarks, or campaign finance, so far Jennifer Horn has been nothing but talk." [Bosse Release, 4/7/08].

Horn Hypocrisy: Self-Financing

Referring to the $250,000 that Senator Bob Clegg had loaned his own campaign as of the end of the 2008 2nd Quarter, Jennifer Horn said: "It's clear that the voters are not buying what Bob Clegg is trying to sell, so he is trying to buy the election with $250,000 of his own money.  Everyone knows that you can't buy votes in New Hampshire." [PolitickerNH.com, 8/29/08].  

Horn later went on to loan her campaign a total of $175,000 for the Primary period as of her August 28th, 2008 FEC Report.  

Horn Hypocrisy: PAC and Special Interest Money

Jennifer Horn has used her first ad of the general election to attack Congressman Paul Hodes over political action committees.

However, she recently teamed up with the National Republican Congressional Committee to jointly pay for a poll that showed her closer to Congressman Hodes than any of the available public polling shows.  The National Republican Congressional Committee has taken millions of dollars from PACs and lobbyists to date this cycle alone [FEC.gov].  If Jennifer Horn were serious about rejecting special interest money, she would renounce the support of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and she would refund them the money that they spent on her behalf for their combined poll.  

Horn Hypocrisy: Forthcoming?

All of the above raises an interesting question: how is Jennifer Horn paying for the ad that is currently airing, falsely accusing Paul Hodes of being tainted by special interests?  Is she funding it herself, which she previously likened to attempting to "buy an election"?  Is she using lobbyist funds to pay for the ad, which she previously pledged not to accept, even though she had taken substantial contributions from at least one lobbyist?  Or is she now accepting funds from the same special-interest political action committees that she criticizes in her ad?  If this is the case, it would be an act of hypocrisy that would be stunning, even by Jennifer Horn's ever-changing standards.  

Jennifer Horn should immediately state the source of the funds used to fund her negative attack ad.  If she does not, her next FEC report, which must be filed in 12 days, will likely reveal future Horn hypocrisy.