Schmid stands by smears in her mailers, as Dems forewarned
On multiple issues covered in an hour-long forum hosted by the Asbury Park Press, Rep. Chris Smith, the 20-term incumbent in New Jersey’s Fourth District, crushed his challenger highlighting his record of legislative accomplishment and his bipartisanship as a problem solver.
Early in the debate, Smith called on the challenger, Stephanie Schmid, to repudiate her campaign literature that lies about his record on health care and COVID-19.
Smith, who is known for his detailed, factual approach to legislation, accused his opponent of “smearing” his good name and lying about his record.
“You are entitled to your opinions, as am I and any of us, to any issue under the sun,” Smith said. “But you are not entitled to your own facts. The facts are provable by just going to the congressional record.
“You are lying about how I voted in a recorded vote. Apologize for lying about my vote.”
To drive his point home, Smith held up the recorded vote his opponent had referenced and cited nonpartisan organizations that praised him for his leadership and courage including a 2017 press release from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) that thanked Smith for his vote AGAINST the age tax, and a letter from then president and CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association praising his courage.
Smith said the NJ Hospital association named him their “2017 legislator of the year” because he voted against the very bill the challenger is lying about in her literature saying that he voted for it.
The false mailer also cites the New York Times as a source, but the article clearly shows that Smith voted no.
Lying about the congressman’s record is not the first time challenger Schmid has been caught in a lie.
During the primary, Democrat challenger Christine Conforti called Schmid’s actions “dishonest” and spoke of Schmid’s “lack of integrity and truth telling.”
The late Democrat opponent David Applefield said Schmid is “quite objectionable…She is not forthright.” And former candidate Jim Keady said she lied about her internship with Smith to create her current narrative for political gain.”
About the lies in her campaign material challenger Schmid said “all of our mailers are perfectly researched. I stand by them.”
Last month it was revealed that Schmid has received five letters of inquiry and was threatened with legal actions by the Federal Election Commission for accepting illegal contributions, making a secret $100,000 loan to herself and hiding ghost employees.
“Lying on her campaign material may be par for the course for Schmid,” said Smith campaign manager Jess Rohr. “But NJ-04 voters have proven they embrace and support leaders they can trust. Leaders like Chris Smith.”
