Deery, Copenhaver double down on ads, theft accusation in Senate primary
As spending on unflattering campaigns jets past $1 million, candidates spar over claims tied to a civil judgment against Copenhaver and her ex-husband. Plus, more moves in SK hynix lawsuits
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CANDIDATES DOUBLE DOWN ON ADS, ACCUSATIONS IN SENATE DISTRICT 23 PRIMARY
Tangled in a Republican primary that has attracted White House interest and spending already well past $1 million, state Sen. Spencer Deery and challenger Paula Copenhaver traded shots this week over an ad tied to accusations of theft stemming from a civil judgment from 20 years ago against Copenhaver and her ex-husband.
Copenhaver – the Fountain County Republican Party chair handpicked to challenge Deery because of his outspoken opposition to an Indiana redistricting pushed by President Donald Trump – last week told Based in Lafayette that the ad, which pinned her for stealing $120,000 from another small business, was “character assassination.”
This week, she continued to push back, accusing Deery of twisting the details of a case she labeled as a business dispute – “nothing more” – she got dragged into “at the lands of my former husband.” Copenhaver blamed Deery for signing off on and broadcasting claims she says he knew were misleading in an ad marked as paid for by his campaign.
“Spencer Deery portrays himself as a man of faith and honesty, yet he has no hesitation in exploiting and twisting deeply and painful personal experiences for political gain,” Copenhaver said in a statement released Tuesday. “It’s disappointing to see him stoop to a level of politics he claims to oppose. Campaigns have a way of revealing a person’s true character.”
Deery answered Wednesday, saying that Copenhaver “was not a bystander” in the case.
“Voters can read the court’s decision for themselves,” Deery said in a release. “They deserve the truth, not a rewritten version of the facts.”
