Fischer accuses Lunsford of debate distortion

The campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Greg Fischer has accused primary opponent Bruce Lunsford of "distorting the truth" during last night's televised debate on KET.

In a release dispatched this afternoon, Fischer's campaign pointed to an exchange between the two top-polling Democratic candidates over their own histories of contributing to Republicans.

The particular exchange in question occurred when Fischer argued that "Bruce has given tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans, including the Republican Senate Campaign committee and even the guy he wants to run against now, Mitch McConnell."

Lunsford rebutted the charge, claiming "This is another example of distortion. I haven't given tens of thousands to Republicans and in fact it has been just the opposite."

Today, the Fischer campaign circulated a list of the contributions Lunsford has made to Republicans since 1990 - a list with amounts totaling more than $60,000 in donations.

"I don't enjoy having to point out this discrepancy," said Fischer, in the campaign release. "But when a candidate for public office stands before a statewide audience on live TV and says something that's blatently false, I think you have to point that out."

"When you confront Lunsford with facts he doesn't like, he twists, distorts and hides the truth," stated Kim Gedeven, Fischer's political director, in the same release.

The Lunsford campaign was quick to respond to the charge, claiming Lunsford "wasn't trying to misrepresent the contributions he's given to Republicans."

"He simply misunderstood Fischer's accusation and thought he was saying Bruce had given ‘tens of thousands of dollars' to Mitch McConnell specifically," said Lunsford's spokesperson Allison Haley in an emailed statement today.

Lunsford's contributions include $2,000 in donations to incumbent Republican Senator McConnell, the man who will face the Democratic primary winner in November. The latest of those contributions dates from 1999. Lunsford also gave $5,000 to McConnell's Bluegrass Committee PAC in the late nineties.

"Bruce has admitted giving to Republican candidates in the past, he has been open and honest about his background as a whole," Haley continued. "And let's not forget that his contributions to Democrats far outweigh those to Republicans."

The Lunsford campaign also again charged Fischer with "hypocrisy" for his targeting of Lunsford on this issue.

"Also note Fischer's hypocrisy in criticizing Bruce for donations to Republicans when Greg ...[has] given to Republicans as well," said Haley. "Today's release by the Fischer camp really just reeks of desperation."

Campaign finance records show Fischer has given $800 to Republican candidates, most recently in 2000.