Democratic opposition research organization American Bridge apologized on Monday for sending someone to follow New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte at a funeral this weekend, after a reporter and the New Hampshire Republican party attacked them for the move.
Ray Burton, New Hampshire’s longest serving executive councilor passed away in November,* and the crowd in attendance at his memorial service on Saturday included a number of politicians, including former New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, and New Hampshire’s two Senators, Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen.
Also in attendance was a Democratic “tracker,”someone who follows around candidates with a video camera capturing moments that can potentially be used to attack them later. The tracker was sent by the Super PAC American Bridge to follow around Ayotte.
WMUR’s James Pindell reported the presence of the tracker on Twitter, tweeting Saturday: “Hey @AmericanBridge tracker: Put away your damn camera taping @KellyAyotte and others at Ray Burton memorial service. #nhpolitics #getclass.”
Hey @AmericanBridge tracker: Put away your damn camera taping @KellyAyotte and others at Ray Burton memorial service. #nhpolitics #getclass
— James Pindell (WMUR) (@JamesPindell) December 14, 2013
On Monday, the New Hampshire Republican Party picked up the attack. In a statement posted on the NHGOP website, state GOP Chair Jennifer Horn called it “disgusting that a Democrat-affiliated group like American Bridge would politicize a memorial service and use this non-partisan event to try and score cheap political points.”
“Clearly this classless liberal political organization has crossed the line, and as a result of its outrageous behavior, American Bridge trackers are immediately banned from all New Hampshire Republican State Committee sponsored events. Additionally, we will encourage all candidates, and local Republican committees to remove American Bridge staff from their events,” she said.
American Bridge tweeted an apology shortly thereafter. “As a matter of policy, we do not attend those types of events. There was a miscommunication with our staff on the ground in NH. We sincerely apologize & regret the error. Our staff has addressed the issue internally in order to ensure this never happens again,” the group tweeted in two tweets Monday afternoon.
As a matter of policy, we do not attend those types of events. There was a miscommunication with our staff on the ground in NH… (1/2)
— American Bridge (@American_Bridge) December 16, 2013
We sincerely apologize & regret the error. Our staff has addressed the issue internally in order to ensure this never happens again. (2/2)
— American Bridge (@American_Bridge) December 16, 2013
American Bridge did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment.
*This post previously misstated the date of Burton’s death.
