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Fact-checking the TV ad attacking Florida congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini [1]

['Greg Fox', 'Https', 'Www.Facebook.Com']

Date: 2022-08-12 23:53:00+00:00

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READINGS FOR JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. IT’S ONE OF THE SHARPEST ATTACKS WE’VE SEEN THIS ELECTION YEAR, AND IT’S TARGETING A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. STEWART: IN COMMITMENT 2022, WESH 2 NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX IS GETTING THE FACTS ON THIS TV AD, AND SHOWS JUST WHO IS BEHIND IT. >> 94 REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR GOVERNOR DESANTIS’S CONSERVATIVE BUDGET. ONLY ONE VOTED NO, ANTHONY SABATINI. GREG: THIS NEW AD ATTACKING REPUBLICAN ANTHONY SABATINI IS COMING FROM A NEW SUPER PAC. MORE ON THAT IN A MOMENT. FIRST, LET’S GET THE FACTS ON THE OPENING CLAIM. IT IS A FACT THAT SABATINI JOINED TWO OTHER DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE MARCH 14 IN VOTING NO ON THE BUDGET. >> CLERK WILL LOCK THE MACHINE AND ANNOUNCE THE VOTE. GREG: YOU CAN SEE THE NO VOTE IN RED, RIGHT THERE. >> SABATINI TRIED SABOTAGING FUNDING TO REMOVE ILLEGALS FROM FLORIDA AND SECURE ELECTIONS FROM FRAUD. GREG: LET’S BRING UP THE METER. THAT CLAIM IS MISLEADING. IT WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE SABATINI’S NO VOTE ON THE BUDGET WAS SABOTAGE OF THE GOVERNOR’S SPENDING PLAN. SABATINI HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO ME HE SUPPORTS THE GOVERNOR’S PRIORITIES, INCLUDING MONEY TO REMOVE UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS OUT OF FLORIDA, AND TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF ELECTION CRIMES AND SECURITY TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED FRAUD. BUT HE TELLS WESH 2 NEWS HE VOTED AGAINST THE BUDGET CRAFTED BY REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP THAT WAS $13 BILLION LARGER THAN THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED BUDGET. >> BECAUSE SABATINI’S A FRAUD. LONGTIME REGISTERED DEMOCRAT. GREG: FIRST, CALLING SABATINI A FRAUD, THAT’S FALSE. HE DOESN’T HIDE THE FACT THAT HE FIRST REGISTERED AS A DEMOCRAT IN 2006. WAS HE A LONGTIME DEMOCRAT? THAT IS MOSTLY TRUE, NINE YEARS. THAT’S TWO YEARS LONGER THAN HE HAS BEEN A REPUBLICAN, WHICH HAPPENED IN 2015. THE YEAR BEFORE DONALD TRUMP WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT. >> FLAGRANTLY ABSENT, DERELICT IN HIS DUTY. GREG: WE WILL CALL THAT LAST CLAIM POLITICAL SPIN. SABATINI ISN’T THE ONLY LAWMAKER TO MISS VOTES, BUT IT’S WORTH NOTING, FLORIDA POLITICS REPORTED THAT SABATINI HAS BEEN CRITICIZED BY FELLOW REPUBLICANS WHO SAY HE MISSES VOTES. AND HE DID MISS THE FIRST PART OF A SPECIAL SESSION LAST NOVEMBER TO RAISE MONEY FOR HIS CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN. THE AD COMES FROM A NEW GROUP CALLED AMERICAN LIBERTY ACTION PAC. OPEN SECRETS DESCRIBES IT AS A CONSERVATIVE SUPER PAC AND SABATINI IS ONE OF JUST THREE CANDIDATES IN THE COUNTRY TARGETED BY THEM WITH NEGATIVE ADS. AND WHILE IT’S CLEAR A CONSERVATIVE SUPERPAC IS NOT SUPPORTING SABATINI, IT’S NOT YET CLEAR WHO THEY MIGHT BE BACKING IN THIS CROWDED CONGRESSIONAL RACE. BUT HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT THEM. CHARLES GANTT IS LISTED AS THE PAC’S CUSTODIAN. HE’S ALSO TREASURER OF MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AGAIN. THE LEADERSHIP PAC FOR FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. WHICH IS KIND OF INTERESTING, CONSIDERING THIS IS A TWITTER SELFIE OF SABATINI AT MAR-A-LAGO IN APRIL. THE AD CONCLUDES BY CALLING SABATINI A LOOSE CANNON, AND NOT A CONSERVATIVE. LOOSE CANNON? THAT IS SOMETHING HE MIGHT EMBRACE. BUT NOT A CONSER

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Advertisement Fact-checking the TV ad attacking Florida congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini Share Copy Link Copy

A new ad attacking Republican Anthony Sabatini is coming from a new super PAC. First, let's get the facts on the opening claim."94 Republicans voted for Gov. DeSantis' conservative budget. Only one voted no: Anthony Sabatini,” the narrator in the ad said.It’s a fact that Sabatini joined two other Democrats in the House on March 14 in voting no on the budget."Corporal, lock the machines and announce the vote. 105 yays, three nays, Mr. Speaker,” the narrator in the ad said.The no vote is apparent in red."Sabatini tried sabotaging funding to remove illegals from Florida and secure elections from fraud,” the narrator in the ad said.This claim is misleading. It wants you to believe Sabatini's no vote on the budget was sabotage of the governor's spending plan. Sabatini has made it clear to WESH 2 News he supports the governor's priorities, including the $12 million to remove "unauthorized" immigrants out of Florida and to create an office of election crimes and security to investigate alleged fraud.But he told us he voted against the budget crafted by Republican leadership that was $13 billion larger than the governor's proposed budget."Because Sabatini's a fraud. Longtime registered Democrat,” the narrator in the ad read.First, calling Sabatini a fraud is false. He doesn't hide the fact that he first registered as a Democrat in 2006.Was he a longtime Democrat? That's mostly true. He was a Democrat for nine years, and that's two years longer than he's been a Republican which happened in 2015, the year before Donald Trump was elected president."Flagrantly absent, derelict in his duty,” the narrator in the ad said.We'll call that last claim political spin.Sabatini isn't the only lawmaker to miss votes, but it's worth noting, that Florida Politics reported that Sabatini has been criticized by fellow Republicans who say he misses votes.He did miss the first part of a special session last November to raise money for his congressional campaign. The ad comes from a new group called American Liberty Action PAC. Open Secrets describes it as a conservative super PAC and Sabatini is one of just three candidates in the country targeted by them with negative ads.And while it's clear a conservative super PAC is not supporting Sabatini, it's not yet clear who they might be backing in this crowded congressional race.Charles Gantt is listed as the PAC's custodian and he's also treasurer of Make America Great Again, Again! Leadership PAC for former President Trump which is kind of interesting, considering a selfie posted to Twitter of Sabatini at Mar-a-Lago in April.The ad concludes by calling Sabatini a loose cannon and not a conservative. Loose cannon? Even Sabatini would embrace that. But not a conservative? That's clearly false.

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[1] Url: https://www.wesh.com/article/anthony-sabatini-commercial-claims/40884856

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