News · Press Release

Ad Fact Check: Claudia Tenney is a No-Show Albany Politician

In a new ad, Claudia Tenney is desperately trying to paper over her no-show record in Albany. Here are the facts:

Tenney missed hundreds of votes in the New York State Assembly in 2014 alone, good enough for the third worst attendance record out of 150 members, but she still took almost $100,000 – her full tax-payer funded salary and reimbursements for that year.

In one day alone that year, Tenney missed 82 votes and her excuse didn’t hold water. She was actually holding press conferences and appeared on a radio show. When a radio host called out Tenney for lying, she hung up on him rather than answering his questions.

“Claudia Tenney can’t spin her way out of missing hundreds of votes as an Albany politician,” said Bryan Lesswing at the DCCC. “If Claudia Tenney couldn’t even show up to work in Albany, then why should voters trust her to show up for Upstate New York in Congress?”

Background

Tenney Lied About Missing Votes, Claimed She Was Taking Care Of Her Ill Mother

Claimed She Missed Votes While Caring For Ill Mother And Attending Son’s Graduation From Naval Academy. “Claudia’s missed votes occurred while she was caring for her mother as she battled an illness from which she eventually died, and when she attended her son’s graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy.” [Claudia for Congress Campaign Site, accessed 6/06/16]

Repeatedly Claimed She Missed Votes To Care For Dying Mother.  On a June 2016 WIBX radio show, the host said, “Assemblywoman Tenney really doubled down on the issue on a couple of times.”  He said she claimed that “while she was missing those, she was traveling back and forth, to and from Albany, to deal with her mother who was, who was dying, and, and she was very adamant about that.” [WIBX, 2:12, 6/15/16]

…Even When Directly Confronted By Radio Host.  Tenney was interviewed by phone on the WIBX radio show.  The host challenged her claim that she was caring for her sick mother at the time she missed votes, saying, “You know that what we came up with yesterday, that media reports and pictures, audio, it all puts you in Binghamton on that day June 18th [2014].”  She said, “The main reason that I missed votes is because of my mother.”  She later elaborated, “In June 17th, 18th, and 19th, you will look, Steve Wells will contend I was campaigning.  The truth is my mother was collapsing all three of those days from her heart issues…I literally was driving back and forth to Albany to help her.” [WIBX, 2:46, 5:08, 6/15/16]

Radio Host Showed Proof Tenney Lied About Why She Missed Votes.  In June 2016, Tenney was interviewed by phone on a WIBX radio show to talk about why she had missed votes in 2014.  The host played a clip from a recent debate in which rival Republican candidate Steve Wells said, “Well, with all due respect, on that day on June 18th when she claims she was taking care of her mom, which anybody would understand, my mom’s sick with cancer, you know, she was actually down holding press conferences in Binghamton…She was on the Bob Joseph show on, in the studio that day when she missed 82 votes.” [WIBX, 7:15, 6/15/16]

…And Tenney Hung Up The Phone.  After the clip from the debate was played, the radio host said, “Okay, Assemblywoman,” and Tenney immediately hung up. [WIBX, 7:43,6/15/16]

…And Host Listed Radio Shows She Did That Day.  After Tenney hung up the phone, the radio host said, “What we have here is on June 18th she was on a Townsquare station, which was our station, speaking as the Bob Joseph radio show.  I believe that was a 10 a.m. interview.  And then later in the day as WNBF and then later she was on, a, at a press conference and that was covered on WBNG television.   All on June 18th.  She doubled down on that date.” [WIBX, 7:58, 6/15/16]





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