Brian Fitzpatrick’s campaign ads feature damning news headlines. They're not from an unbiased source.
Self-published articles from a longtime ally are showing up in the vulnerable Pennsylvania Republican’s attack ads.
As Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick battles Democratic opponent Bob Harvie in southeast Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, his campaign has been utilizing ads that feature what appear to be headlines from Patch, an online news platform. However, Patch has since transitioned into a largely unedited volunteer operation, raising doubts about the credibility of the cited news stories.
One headline even claims, "Bob Harvie calls himself a king," while another states that Harvie "refuses to release his FBI files." A third headline alleges that Harvie "to independent voters: 'join a political party or lose your right to vote.'" The campaign's use of these headlines is concerning as they originate from Dave Sommers, a man with close ties to Fitzpatrick and a history that includes law enforcement issues.
Sommers, a retired reporter, has received payments from the Fitzpatrick campaign and has been seen at various campaign events alongside the congressman. Despite his past controversies, Sommers continues to support Fitzpatrick and has even posed for photos with him at public events. The use of these headlines in political ads is not uncommon, but the close association between Sommers and Fitzpatrick raises questions about the reliability of the information being presented to voters.
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