Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeUncategorizedPolitical ad from Toth campaign stirs controversy

Political ad from Toth campaign stirs controversy

By Taylor Likens

A recent advertisement published by the Steve Toth political campaign has stirred further, more personal controversy in the race for Congress. Information distributed as a District-wide mailer and press release are at odds with Congressman Brady’s legislative history in both Austin and Washington.

“Kevin Brady released a letter in which he claimed to oppose the high speed rail plan,” Toth’s press release claimed. “Kevin Brady was for it before he was against in.”

The mailer states: “Kevin Brady says he’s against High Speed Rail NOW. So why did he author HB 1805 in 1993, approving Texas eminent domain for it?”

HB 1805, filed by then Texas Representative Kevin Brady, was written to remove eminent domain from the 1989 Texas High Speed Rail Act so the Texas Railroad Commission’s and Texas High Speed Rail Authority could not seize private land.

U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady has refuted the Toth ad as a “lie” because it misrepresents his bill and his long standing fight against misuse of eminent domain. On February 20, the Brady for Congress campaign Facebook page linked to a Fox 26 news article debunking Toth’s claims as “gross exaggerations.”

The “Fox 26 report EXPOSES Toth’s extreme dishonesty to voters,” the social media post said. “They confirm – I have ALWAYS been against high-speed rail and fought to protect private property rights. Toth is willing to lie about anything to get your vote.”

Toth, however, disputes this claim also. “It is easy to understand why Kevin Brady would flip-flop now that his re-election bid is in trouble,” the earlier press release said. “But in doing so, he has revealed he will say anything to protect his seat in Congress.”

Toth’s debunked mailer goes on to say that in May of 2013, “Mr. Brady voted for HB-748, authorizing $7.2 Billion for High Speed Rail.”

First of all, HB is a designation for a Texas House Bill and Kevin Brady was serving in the U.S. Congress in 2013. Assuming the mailer was apparently attempting to reference a 2015 federal bill, HR 749, to “reauthorize Federal support for passenger rail programs,” it’s important to note that Amtrak reform bill did not address any high speed rail programs, in Texas or elsewhere.

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