Vulnerable Democrat Rep. Cindy Axne (IA), in an attempt to attack her Republican challenger Zach Nunn, released an ad claiming that he is in China’s pocket for accepting money from a Chinese company she toured and praised in 2019 for “powering Iowa agriculture.”
Axne released an attack ad against Nunn on Tuesday titled “Weaken,” which claimed that Nunn is in the pocket of the Chinese government after accepting thousands ($2,500) in campaign contributions from Syngenta PAC, a PAC connected to Syngenta — a Chinese-owned company.
“Communist China is working hard to weaken the U.S.: challenging our military, stealing trade secrets, and putting politicians like Zach Nunn in their pocket,” the ad narrator claimed. “Zach Nunn took thousands from a Chinese government-owned business.”
But, while Axne is claiming that the Nunn is in China’s pocket for accepting campaign contributions from Syngenta, it sheds light on a different story from 2019 when the Democrat visited and praised the company.
Rep. Cindy Axne will face off against Republican challenger Zach Nunn (pictured). (Zach Nunn U.S. Congress)
In November 2019, the Hawkeye Democrat visited the company she’s now questioning to “discuss trade, USMCA, biofuels, technology, and rural broadband with their team and area farmers.”
In a Facebook post, Axne even admitted she was “glad to hear” from the company and praised it for “powering Iowa agriculture.”
Visited Syngenta in West Des Moines to discuss trade, USMCA, biofuels, technology, and rural broadband with their team and area farmers. Always glad to hear from our neighbors powering Iowa agriculture.
Posted by U.S. Representative Cindy Axne on Friday, November 22, 2019
However, the company was acquired in 2017, two years before Axne’s photo-op tour and roughly four years before the Democrat seemed to care who it was owned by.
Fortune reported that Syngenta was bought for $43 billion in 2017 by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, and as of July 2021, it had remained the biggest foreign acquisition.
As Axne argued that China is “putting politicians … in their pocket,” she accidentally ousted herself and her past.
Nunn’s campaign released a statement in response to the misleading attack ad by Axne, stating that the Democrat “should be ashamed of herself for once again launching a despicable smear meant to mislead Iowans.”
“Axne didn’t think Syngenta was evil when she attempted to gain their support and toured their headquarters in West Des Moines for a photo-op in 2019,” added Josh Treat, Nunn’s campaign manager. “Now that they are supporting Nunn, she is now a desperate politician who is willing to say anything to get reelected.”
Additionally, the National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Berg hammered the Democrat by stating, “Cindy Axne is willing to say and do anything to get reelected. She is too dishonest to represent Iowa.”
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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