Hoosier businessman and Republican Senate candidate Mike Braun told Breitbart News on Monday that Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) exhibits the “ultimate level of hypocrisy” by attacking his business while Donnelly’s family business outsources jobs to Mexico.
The Indiana Republican party filed a Senate Ethics Committee complaint against Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Braun’s opponent, alleging that the Hoosier Democrat allegedly used taxpayer-funded resources for campaign-related activities.
Braun suggested that politicians such as Donnelly will “do anything” to get ahead during an election year.
The Indiana Republican said, “I think it was risky whenever you do something you know that isn’t right.”
Sen. Donnelly, facing pressure from Braun, met with President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh last week. Donnelly’s Senate office also filmed his meeting with Kavanaugh, which Braun’s campaign alleges could be used for political ads and raises “serious ethical issues.”
Braun contends that Donelly faces an increasingly difficult dilemma to vote to confirm Kavanaugh or back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) plan to sink Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
“I wonder where the whole Brett Kavanaugh issue will be tough for him because a majority of Hoosiers are for his nomination and many see through his dance, Chuck Schumer’s orchestration is not settling well,” Braun explained. “He’s in a tough spot, his party boss and mentor wants him to do one thing and most Hoosiers think this should be an easy decision.”
“We’re going to point out that hypocrisy– he sells himself as a moderate but when you’re getting your marching orders from the liberal wing of the Democrat party it does not look good,” Braun added.
Last year the Associated Press (AP) reported that while Sen. Donnelly chastised Carrier Crop. for moving manufacturing jobs to Mexico, he profited from a family business that relied on Mexican labor to produce dye for ink pads.
Braun called Donnelly’s criticism of his business the “ultimate level of hypocrisy” considering that Sen. Donnelly has benefited from a business that has outsourced jobs to Mexico. In contrast, the Indiana businessman told Breitbart News he hires exclusively in the United States and most of his suppliers for his business also come from America.
Braun said, “I think that’s the ultimate level of hypocrisy. I don’t know if he’s ever signed the front end of a paycheck. I think that was his brother’s business, he was a partner owner in that business until he got busted, which is ironic when you’re running a smear campaign against me, where I’ve built a business from very humble beginnings in my hometown and he’s litigating the business trying to make me look like a heartless businessman. Every one of my jobs is here in the U.S., I’m a supplier for auto and RV parts and accessories, 95 percent of the suppliers are American companies, so he’s taking a little molehill and turning it into a mountain there.”
The Hoosier businessman then said that, similar to President Trump, “I have a business background and we get things fixed with hard decisions when you need to, put up some short-term pains for long-term gains and prosperity that comes with good decision making.”
Braun concluded, “The thing that drove President Trump into office is that people are sick and tired of business as usual in D.C. People are looking for fresh solutions.”