EXCLUSIVE — Kentucky Senate candidate Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) is threatening legal action against local TV stations unless they pull from the air what his campaign attorney assails as a “patently false” immigration ad from a conservative PAC supporting primary opponent Nate Morris.
In a cease-and-desist letter first reported by the Washington Examiner and sent to all state cable and broadcast stations, Barr campaign attorney Sloane Carlough wrote that the congressman is “prepared to pursue all legal and equitable remedies necessary to … end the ongoing publication of these false, defamatory, and malicious statements.”
The contentious episode is the latest in what’s been a bruising primary to replace retiring longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that will be settled on May 19. Seventh-term congressman Barr, wealthy entrepreneur Morris, and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron are all gunning for the nomination for the safe Republican seat. President Donald Trump is neutral and has praised all three.
The ad in question is a 30-second spot from the Club for Growth-affiliated Win it Back PAC that accuses “Amnesty Andy Barr” of voting in 2018 to “protect illegals from deportation.” The legislation was backed by President Donald Trump in his first term but failed after a revolt from more centrist Republicans.
Barr supported the immigration proposal that would’ve offered a pathway to citizenship for millions of “Dreamers” — those who entered the country illegally as a child — provide Trump border wall money, and cease family border separations. It would have also bolstered other immigration restrictions, including fewer family-based visas, changes to the diversity visa lottery program, slashed sanctuary city funding, and the creation of an E-Verify program for agriculture workers.
“To keep illegals out of Kentucky, keep Amnesty Andy out of the Senate,” the Win It Back ad says.
Barr’s cease and desist letter, sent Wednesday, called the ad “patently false and misleading.” It urged stations to remove the content from its airwaves “to protect your viewers from this deceptive advertising.”
Barr did not receive a response from any TV stations as of Thursday.
The Club for Growth’s Win It Back PAC did not provide a comment.
Barr’s attorney took particular issue with the ad’s reference to separate violent sexual crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Kentucky that “dishonestly portrays these criminals as beneficiaries of Rep. Barr’s vote” because they would not have qualified for amnesty under the immigration bill. The cease-and-desist letter also said a snippet of Barr in the ad saying the proposal “did provide protection from deportation” was taken out of context.
“This bill was backed by President Trump and despite what the ad claims, the vote was not to ‘protect illegals from deportation’ — the vote was to support border security,” the cease-and-desist letter says. “Calling this a vote to ‘protect illegals from deportation’ is like accusing a lawmaker of voting for corporate tax breaks because a national defense bill included a narrow tax provision for military contractors.”
MITCH MCCONNELL IS RETIRING. ESTABLISHMENT DONORS HAVE DECIDED WHO THEY DON’T WANT REPLACING HIM
Barr added in a statement to the Washington Examiner that he “never [has] and never will support amnesty.”
Barr’s attorney concluded in her letter that the campaign was “taking this matter very seriously and will be forced to pursue legal and/or equitable remedies if you do not comply with these demands.”
