PLAINVILLE, Conn. _ Flanked by friends, family and supporters, Republican state House candidate and Cheshire home invasion survivor William Petit condemned a digital ad funded by a union-based political action group that linked him with Donald Trump's "attack on women and families."
"I'm just flabbergasted and appalled that anyone would stoop this low," Petit, who lost his wife and two daughters in the brutal 2007 attack that garnered national headlines, said at a news conference held in front of his Plainville home Wednesday morning.
The ad, paid for by Labor United for Connecticut, is one of several digital ads targeting about a dozen Republican legislative candidates across the state. Campaign finance filings show the group paid $2,112 for the online ads against Petit.
Republicans and Democrats alike were quick to rebuke the ad and called for it to be pulled. The top Democrat in the House, Speaker Brendan Sharkey, said it was "horrific and moronic." House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, joined Petit at the press conference.
"We have nightmares that are not as bad as what was his and his family's real life," she said. "To imply that Dr. Petit has a problem with women and families is just despicable."
Paul Filson, chairperson of Labor United and director of the Connecticut State Council of the Service Employees International Union, said the ad was set to expire Wednesday and wouldn't be renewed.
"While we sincerely regret if anyone has found it to be personally offensive, the Facebook post in question holds numerous Connecticut Republicans accountable for their support of Donald Trump and his policies, which independent experts have found to be harmful to women and middle class families," he said. "The post also links to a website where these dangerous policies are detailed for voters. We stand by these accountability efforts and call on Republican candidates to disown Donald Trump and his damaging policies. That said, the post in this particular district was set to expire today, and it will not be renewed."
Petit wouldn't say who he planned on voting for in the presidential race, but did say that Trump had said "disgusting things" about women and that he didn't condone many of those remarks.
"I haven't made a decision yet," Petit said. When asked again, Petit said "I don't support Hillary Clinton's candidacy, for sure. I'm going to make a decision when I get into the (voting) booth."
After he lost his family Petit founded the Petit Family Foundation, which gives out grants to fund the education of young people, particularly women in the sciences, to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic illnesses and to help efforts to protect and help those affected by violence. Representatives from several groups that received grants spoke in support of Petit and said he was a champion for women.
The news conference drew a big crowd in what otherwise has been a quiet campaign for control of the state legislature.
Linking Republican candidates to Trump has become a strategy for Democrats running for office across the country and in the state. In the 33rd Senate District, Connecticut Democrats have been hammering Sen. Art Linares, R-Westbrook, for saying he would vote for Trump and for attending the Republican National Convention as a Trump delegate.
JR Romano, chairman of the state Republican Party, said the ad was a baseless attack "against an honorable and decent man."
"I am calling on Labor United Connecticut to apologize to Dr. Petit and his family for needlessly bringing this personal matter into the election and I am also calling on the Hartford Courant to pull the ad and apologize," he said.
The state Democratic Party made it clear they had nothing to do with the ad against Petit.
"(We) would not support this type of advertising directed against William Petit," said Leigh Appleby, a Democratic spokesman.
The Connecticut AFL-CIO, which did not contribute money to Labor United, also distanced itself from the ad.
"In this race, considering what Dr. Petit has gone through, I do not think this was an appropriate avenue to go down," said Lori Pelletier, the union's president. "This attack is insensitive and should be pulled immediately."
The ad first came to Petit's attention when his wife, Christine, was reading an online news article on The Courant's website. Jennifer Humes, a spokesperson for the Hartford Courant Media Group, said that the company "does not control the content of paid political advertisements."
"Our responsibility is to confirm that the paid advertisement meets the political advertising requirements and disclosures," she said.
