This article originally appeared on KSL. Read it in its entirety here.
Less than 24 hours after their debate, Rep. Mia Love (R) is demanding an apology from her opponent in Utah’s 4th district race, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams (D).
McAdams, Love claimed during an interview with KSL Newsradio’s Dave & Dujanovic, willfully misled voters in an attack ad accusing her of illegally misappropriating funds.
“I believe that I deserve an apology,” Love says, “I believe my family deserves an apology. And I believe that the voters deserve an apology.”
The controversy stems from an attack ad run by the Ben McAdams campaign accusing Love of illegally raising money in a primary election that she did not expect to face.
“Mia Love’s campaign may have raised more than $1 million illegally,” the ad claims. “Mia Love kept the money.”
The attack ad was a major talking point in yesterday’s debates. Love claimed that the Federal Election Commission had called her and assured her that she had not broken any laws. Her campaign can legally use the money, Love claims, to help fund other campaigns.
After the debate, however, Love became much more ferocious. When KSL’s Dave and Dujanovic asked her what she wished she’d said the night before, Love didn’t mince words.
“McAdams knew that we were doing nothing wrong,” Love said. “He knew it. … Yet he went out and told the voters and continued to double down and tell the voters something that he knows is wrong.”
Love, citing McAdams’ experience as an attorney, insisted that her opponent knew full well that he was misleading his voters.
“You can’t just make up your own facts,” Love said. “You can have your opinions, but that doesn’t mean they’re facts.”
The Alliance for a Better Utah is a nonprofit advocacy group that says it campaigns for “balance, transparency, and accountability” in Utah politics. They were also the group that originally filed an FEC complaint against Rep. Mia Love for raising funds during an unopposed election.
Their conference will begin at 1:30 PM today. KSL Newsradio will provide minute-to-minute coverage of all new developments.
This article originally appeared on KSL. Read it in its entirety here.