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Rep. Hill condemns 'outrageous' radio ad that discusses Kavanaugh allegations, lynchings

U.S. Representative French Hill is condemning a radio ad which he has called "appalling" and "outrageous" in "the strongest terms."

A political ad by an African American North Carolina businessman is getting attention in Arkansas while denounced by U.S. Rep. French Hill as racist even though it is being aired to support his campaign against Democratic State Rep. Clarke Tucker.

In the ad, two women discuss rape allegations and mention the Brett Kavanaugh allegations brought forth by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and two other women without naming any of them. They say they will vote for Rep. Hill and the Republicans because "we have to protect our men and boys."

"We can't afford to let white Democrats take us back to bad old days of race verdicts, life sentences and lynchings when a white girl screams rape," the ad states.

Rep. Hill said he condemns "this outrageous ad in the strongest terms."

"I do not support that message and there is no place in Arkansas for this nonsense," Hill said.

Some may have heard an appalling ad on the radio. I condemn this outrageous ad in the strongest terms. I do not support that message, and there is no place in Arkansas for this nonsense.

— French Hill (@ElectFrench) October 18, 2018

To Verify the facts about this controversial ad, we talked to Vernon Robinson, the man who says he paid for it through his political action committee called Black Americans for the President's Agenda. Robinson once served in city government in Winston-Salem, N.C. He has lost a handful of Congressional campaigns in the 20 years since then.

We also asked Rep. Hill directly prior to an appearance at the Little Rock Central High National Heritage Center. Hill is for his third term in Congress from Arkansas' 2nd district.

The entire ad can be heard here:

“Immediately when I heard it, I was so dumbfounded, I was shocked,” Rep. Hill said.

Tucker pointedly criticized “Hill and his allies" and said this is the kind of campaign they are running.

Robinson says this ad and another similar anti-abortion ad have been running on “99.3 FM The Beat” in Pine Bluff for three weeks. They carry the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey morning show, which Robinson says he used as a way to identify stations in competitive House races. Pine Bluff is not in the 2nd Congressional district, but Robinson said: “It reaches most of the black folks in that district.”

Hill is calling for the station to stop airing it, but there's only so much he can do.

“Obviously they're within their 1st amendment rights to produce an ad, so all we can do is urge not to air it,” Rep. Hill said.

Robinson said the station manager at the “The Beat” told him only one person “called screaming and yelling about racism” when it initially aired, but that 49 others had consenting comments or agreed with the message. He said that manager was named “Greg Horne” but the station is managed by Michael Horne and the marketing manager is listed as Greg Gustek. Either man did not return phone calls after repeated requests for comment on Friday.

Robinson said he placed similar ads in other states, including Missouri, but that the Pine Bluff ad buy is the only one he made in Arkansas.

“The Congressman has to run his campaign,” Robinson said when asked if he would pull the ads if requested by Rep. Hill. “My obligation is to push the president's agenda of life, educational opportunities, school choice, criminal justice reform, immigration reform. If we don't build a wall, soon there won't be any black folk at all.”

This article has been updated to include comment from Clarke Tucker.

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