TURNING THE TABLES

Democratic Challenger Uses Fox News Hosts to Attack GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter

The ad features Fox News hosts criticizing Rep. Hunter for his excuses about a recent indictment leveled against him and his wife.

It’s not often that a Democratic candidate for Congress features footage from Fox News in their advertising. But that is exactly what Ammar Campa-Najjar, the Democrat challenging embattled incumbent Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), has done in a brand-new spot.

The ad, first reported by The Sacramento Bee, features Fox News hosts expressing criticism of Rep. Hunter, specifically focusing on his initial defense of an indictment leveled against him and his wife.

Hunter, who has served California's conservative 50th congressional district since 2013, claimed his innocence for charges including wire fraud and campaign-finance violations. And in one particularly infamous Fox News interview, the congressman appeared to throw his wife under the bus, saying she handled all of his finances.

“Indicted Congressman Duncan Hunter is paying for ads to what should be his base—Fox News—to defend his embarrassing, criminal actions,” Campa-Najjar tweeted on Thursday. “So we’re airing this ad on Fox News & letting their anchors do the talking for us.”

A spokesperson for the campaign told The Daily Beast that the ad will run for two weeks exclusively on Fox News in the San Diego designated market area.

Despite the indictment against him, Hunter retained a lead in a late August head-to-head poll. He is one of two Republican incumbents facing indictments this cycle, both of whom represent traditionally red districts. The other, Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), announced this week that he intended to remain on the November ballot despite earlier claims that he would drop his re-election bid.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Gideon ResnickPolitical Reporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.