Hayhurst: Stutzman Caught In a Lie

Press release from the Tom Hayhurst for Congress, 3rd Indiana Congressional District campaign:

Stutzman Caught In a Lie
Hayhurst holds press conference to call on his opponent to return Federal money

Tom Hayhurst, candidate for Indiana’s 3rd congressional district, held a press conference today to question his opponent’s recent statements regarding his acceptance of federal farm subsidies and an overwhelming amount of special interest money.

Marlin Stutzman has been under criticism for wanting to put an end to federal farm subsidies despite receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in the same taxpayer funded subsidies. Stutzman has stated on numerous occasions that he accepted these subsidies because he is required by federal law to accept them.

This is contrary to what the U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated. A farmer is not required to take a payment or subsidy through the USDA, regardless of whether or not a farmer owns or is renting the land, according to multiple sources within the USDA.

“Marlin Stutzman got caught in a lie, and now it’s time for him to come clean. He can’t have it both ways. You can’t take the money and then pretend that farm subsidies are wrong. If Marlin Stutzman is really against farm subsidies, he should give the money back right now. If he doesn’t, he’s just another smooth talking career politician out for himself,” said Hayhurst Campaign Manager, Jason Kingsbury.

During the press conference, Dr. Hayhurst provided information about the most recent fund raising report while questioning the source of his opponent’s funding. The 3rd quarter Federal Election Commission reporting deadline was September 30th with the reports due by October 15th.

“Marlin Stutzman has taken 49% of his campaign money from outside special interests like Halliburton, Exxon Mobil, and R.J. Reynolds. How can my opponent work for Northeast Indiana when he’s already working for special interests in Washington? I’m proud to say that 93% of our donations have come from individuals who are concerned about the future of our country,” said Hayhurst.