September 12, 2022

Tiffany Smiley campaigns with Dinesh D’Souza in Yakima over the weekend, doubles down on appearance with radical conspiracy theorist

(Seattle, WA) – Tiffany Smiley is getting local and national attention after headlining a fundraising event with Dinesh D’Souza on Saturday night — and refusing to disavow the notorious election-denying conspiracy theorist.

Over the weekend, Smiley headlined an event in Yakima, Washington with election denier and conspiracy theorist Dinesh D’Souza, creator of the debunked film 2,000 mules — that even former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr ridiculed as nonsense. D’Souza is an anti-abortion extremist who has praised Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin, called Democrats “Nazis,” spread outlandish conspiracies about 9/11, and has been one of the leading promoters of Donald Trump’s dangerous “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen. Tiffany Smiley has previously met and praised D’Souza.

On Friday, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and other local and national pro-democracy experts held a virtual press conference condemning Smiley’s appearance with D’Souza; video of the press call is HERE.

“Over the weekend, Tiffany Smiley campaigned with one of the most radical far-right election denying conspiracy theorists in America — that was a choice that she made. Claiming she has ‘no control over’ who she chooses to campaign with is a transparent attempt to absolve herself of responsibility for an appearance that was her choice alone. No candidate who cares about the truth or our democracy would get within 500 feet of Dinesh D’Souza. If Tiffany Smiley doesn’t have the courage to call Dinesh D’Souza out for his dangerous lies, she certainly won’t have the courage to stand up to Donald Trump or Mitch McConnell,” said Washington State Democratic Party spokesperson Caitlin Harrington.

Read more:

HuffPo: Democrats Determined Not To Let Republicans Downplay Their MAGA Extremism: “Smiley is slated to speak at a GOP event in Yakima County, Washington, this weekend alongside Dinesh D’Souza, the bunk historian and election conspiracist. D’Souza’s debunked “documentary” about the 2020 election, “2,000 Mules,” will be screened at the event. “The campaign has no control over who the Yakima Republican Party invites to their events,” Smiley spokesman Cale Ottens told HuffPost in a statement.

KOMO Radio: “Republican Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley catching heat for appearing at an event featuring a prominent election denier… Smiley is speaking at the Yakima County Republican party’s Lincoln day dinner on Saturday. Her campaign says she’ll be talking about recovery and reform. But the keynote speaker is filmmaker and conspiracy theorist Dinesh D’Souza who has peddled false claims about election fraud… In a statement Smiley’s campaign says they have no control over whom the local party invites to their events and her appearance was scheduled months ago… Smiley’s website did previously state there were serious concerns about election integrity following 2020.”

KXLY Spokane: Murray camp calls Smiley ‘extremist’ for appearing at same event as Dinesh D’Souza: “Democratic incumbent Patty Murray and her supporters criticized her opponent Republican Tiffany Smiley for an appearance with Dinesh D’Souza, a man who continuously pushes conspiracies over the 2020 election. On a Zoom call with Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Murray’s supporters condemned an appearance in Yakima where Smiley will appear at the Lincoln Dinner on Saturday, where D’Souza is scheduled to speak. D’Souza is behind the debunked film “2000 Mules.” Smiley and D’Souza are both scheduled to speak at the event. Smiley’s campaign told 4 News Now in a statement that she has no plans to meet with D’Souza and that they just happen to be appearing at the same event. Her campaign also said Smiley has no control over who the republican party invites to its events.”

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