Nate McMurray thinks the president should take a positive interest in his campaign for Congress.
After Donald J. Trump sent out a highly controversial tweet yesterday blasting his attorney general for prosecuting criminal cases against Rep. Chris Collins and Rep. Duncan Hunter, McMurray responded with two tweets of his own.
Hey, @potus popular? Around here @RepChrisCollins is about as popular as Lyme Disease. You need to pick better friends, maybe someone who actually has a clue about helping working families...Call me.
The Batavian asked, via text message, for McMurray to clarify his statement, McMurray said, "Just like I said. He's picking the wrong people. The wrong policies. If the President is really interested in helping the people here, and not just talking about it, I want him to be successful."
He then added, "I can help."
Collins was arrested by federal agents a month ago on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud and lying to the FBI. The NY-27 representative is accused of disclosing to his son confidential information about Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd. Collins served on the board of directors in 2017 and was notified in June of that year that a key clinical trial had failed. The call by Collins to Cameron Collins allegedly sparked a series of stock trades where Cameron, other family members, and associates dumped 1.4 million shares of the company's stock.
Hunter (who represents the eastern part of San Diego County, including El Cajon, filling a seat once held by his father) is accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses (a non-criminal accusation also levied in 1989 against his father).
Contrary to Trump's claim in his tweet, neither investigation began during the Obama years. Both investigations started after Trump became president. In fact, the trigger for the investigation into Collins was Cameron's highly suspicious pattern of trades in June 2017, which led to investigators discovering the phone call made by Collins from the lawn of the Trump White House.
Two days after vowing to fight the charges and remain in the campaign for reelection at a press conference where he refused to take questions, Collins suspended his campaign. He promised to cooperate in an effort to get his name off the November ballot. So far, the eight GOP county chairs of the NY-27 haven't announced how they intend to get Collins off the ballot and there's even doubt among the chairs that it can be done.
The presidential tweet about the Collins arrest also prompted a press release from McMurray. He wrote:
“President Trump just acknowledged what we all know: what was long considered a slam-dunk election for Congressman Collins is now in doubt and the reasoning is clear – Congressman Collins spent more time worrying about making millions for his buddies than he did helping working families in Western New York,” McMurray said.
“The FBI finally confirmed what so many of us in Western New York know – that the system is corrupt. Now the same party officials that knew of Congressman Collins’ conduct want to fool voters into believing that they can pull a bait and switch to put someone new on the ballot. They want a mulligan. This isn’t democracy, this is fraud and the voters I meet as I crisscross the district won’t stand for it.
“I’m putting party politics aside to stand up for the working men and women of Western New York. I was proud to stand with many of them this Labor Day and I’ll be proud to work on their behalf in Congress.”
On Twitter, McMurray often portrays himself as fighting for the middle-class, working families of Western New York; however, where he aligns with Trump on issues is hard to say.
In a July 14 Tweet, McMurray he said:
MY PLATFORM:
— Nate McMurray for Congress (@Nate_McMurray) July 14, 2018
—Medicare for all
—Unions
—Free, reduced tuition
—Agriculture as a nat security issue
—Green energy
—Broadband for all
—Marijuana legalization
—No more wasteful wars
—Human rights, safe immigration
—Smart trade
—Term limits
—Reproductive rights
—Fair tax laws
Later in the month, he was critical of Collins' support of Trump's trade agenda, tweeting:
TARIFFS ARE TAXES. My opponent supports them. I support smart trade, leveraging our strength to gain access to key foreign markets. We need to sell to more people. We don’t need to put up a barrier to the world and hide.
However, an email exchange with The Batavian on July 30, McMurray said Trump was 100 percent right in his assertion that the U.S. is being taken advantage of by trading partners. The Batavian had asked McMurray if he would seek the aid from the Koch Network, which is backing Democrats this cycle who support free trade. McMurray said he wouldn't, citing his agreement with the president that the world is taking advantage of the United States.
"We can’t bury our head in the sand," McMurray said. "We need to engage with the world. We just can’t do it the way we have done it, by getting taken advantage of and being willing to leverage our bargaining power."
One of the fears or Trump-supporting Republicans is that if the Democrats win control of the House in the mid-term elections, they will quickly move to impeach Donald Trump. McMurray has indicated on social media that he is not an automatic vote for impeachment.
OPEN LETTER TO NY27: CLEARING UP A FEW POINTS
— Nate McMurray for Congress (@Nate_McMurray) August 27, 2018
"I have no intention of “voting to impeach” on my “first day in office.” My first day in office, I expect I’ll be spending most of my time unpacking and figuring out the best place to hang pictures."
READ https://t.co/JquVIvFq8Q
McMurray has campaigned across the district since the arrest of Collins but has completely skipped over Genesee County during the past four weeks. Yesterday, he missed the Labor Daze parade in Oakfield.
Trump's Labor Day tweet has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats as an attack on the criminal justice system and an attempt to subvert the rule of law.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who presented Genesee County in Congress before losing her seat to Collins in 2012 joined the chorus of boos this morning.
When I ran for re-election to Congress in 2012, I warned voters that @RepChrisCollins would put his own interests ahead of the people of Western NY.
— Kathy Hochul (@KathyHochul) September 4, 2018
Not surprised @realDonaldTrump would defend a man who was arrested for insider trading. Two corrupt men, made for each other. https://t.co/9WQkuX8K7c
