Moffitt releases new TV ad blasting Turner for recording phone conversation

Republican Rep. Tim Moffitt released a new campaign ad Oct. 21 blasting his Democratic opponent Brian Turner for “secretly recording telephone conversations in a desperate attempt to further his own political ambitions.” The ad is derived from an incident earlier this year in which Turner alleged that Moffitt tried to threaten him and offer him a job in exchange for dropping out of the race. Moffitt and GOP Buncombe County Commissioner David King, who also attended the private meeting, denied those allegations and the State Board of Elections and State Ethics Commission both dismissed Turner’s charges. In April Turner provided a recording of a phone conversation to local media he had with King about the incident.

Watch Moffitt’s ad via YouTube here:

 Press release from Moffitt’s campaign:

MOFFITT RELEASES NEW TV COMMERCIAL: “LISTEN CLOSELY”

ASHEVILLE, NC — Tim Moffitt released a new commercial today which will appear on broadcast and cable TV. The 30-second spot, called “Listen Closely,” reminds voters that his opponent, Brian Turner, was caught secretly recording telephone conversations in a desperate attempt to further his own political ambitions.

“I think secretly recording private telephone conversations says a lot about my opponent’s character,” said Representative Moffitt. “When you listen to the whole recording, knowing that Turner is secretly recording the conversation the entire time, it’s apparent that my opponent is attempting to manufacture evidence. Not to mention — and this is something I’ve heard from others — it’s a little creepy.”

Turner himself admits to spreading allegations about Moffitt earlier in the year for political gain. In the recorded call, he nervously says that “…those were things that, that were said, those were things that, you know… are politically… can be you know, advantageous to me in my campaign.”

Secretly recording the phone call is just one incident of many in what’s proven to be a troubling pattern of lies, deception, and fear-mongering by Turner. The Biltmore Forest resident is trying to unseat Moffit, a conservative small-businessman who currently represents the people of Buncombe County (District 116).

For example, Turner repeatedly lied about “cuts” to education funding — and has only since changed his story after being called out by WLOS, The Washington Post, and other media outlets; in an attempt to scare voters, Turner sent out a mailer showing oil derricks covering the mountains of Buncombe County when he knew full well fracking would not come to the area; against his own attorney’s advice, Turner later filed false charges against Moffitt at taxpayer expense which were later dismissed and deemed to be without merit; and when Turner was running Mills Manufacturing Corporation, his family’s business, the company flagrantly ignored immigration law and was raided by federal ICE agents, resulting in the arrest of 59 people who were working there illegally.

“It’s pretty clear that Turner will do or say anything to get elected,” said Moffitt. “So much of the work we do in the legislature is built on a foundation of trust. Many of my colleagues have told me that they’d never want to work with somebody like Turner. He just can’t be trusted.”