National Republican Congressional Campaign using fake Democrat websites to lure voters
(CNN) - A warning this election season: If you are searching the Web for information on Democratic congressional candidates, read the fine print.
At least 15 websites that appear to be official campaign sites for Democratic candidates, are actually the handiwork of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
In an effort to improve their online efforts this election season, the NRCC’s digital team came up with what the group believes is a great idea: get out the Republican message through fake Democrat sites.
“The idea is people who are looking for information on the candidate, one of the places we all go now is online and so this is a way for folks to find out more about the candidates and information they may not find on the candidate’s own site,” said Daniel Scarpinato, the NRCC's press secretary.
The NRCC bought up hundreds of URLs on potential weak Democratic candidates and created sites that mimic the real ones.
It may sound deceiving, but Scarpinato insists the well-thought out, well-planned program is pure genius.
”Well, we are very proud of this program.”
Montana Democratic congressional candidate John Lewis has a different opinion.
Lewis is one of the Democrats who Republicans have targeted with their own site called JohnLewis4congress.com.
”I have seen a lot of unfortunate uses of deception in the last few elections,” Lewis told CNN. “This is just another in a long list of that.”
Lewis said Montana voters will be able to “see right through a website that is based on deception.” Still he bemoans what he calls outside interests backed by “dark money” trying to trick voters in his state.
Scarpinato at the NRCC says there are no tricks at all and disputes anyone’s claim that the sites are deceptive.
“I think that sites are clear in terms of the disclosure and the content where were coming from,” Scarpinato said. “And I also think it’s important for voters to get all the perspectives on the candidates. So just as a candidate is going to put information out about themselves, we’re going to put out information about the candidate that they are not putting out that we think is important for voters to know.”
And to do that, the National Republican Congressional Campaign says it will expand its building of fake sites.
Do Democrats do it, too?
The NRCC press secretary told us the Republican strategy is cleverer, but that Democrats have done the same thing.
One day after CNN’s interview Scarpinato directed CNN to a site mocking a Republican built by the Florida State Democratic Party, which the national Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee insists it had nothing to do with.
In a statement to CNN, the DCCC wrote, “It is not the DCCC’s practice to make websites that could be confused with the opponents site.”
Undeterred, the National Republican Congressional Committee thinks it has a winner and will create more fake websites as the 2014 midterm elections draw near.
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The people who support this feel that cheating is necessary and justified at this point.
More of the same playbook. Voter suppression, misdirection, misinformation, oh yeah, garden variety lying. Why you have no ethics, no moral compass, and the only goal is winning, what's the problem.
"It may sound deceiving, but Scarpinato insists the well-thought out, well-planned program is pure genius."
I'm going with "Deceiving". No..."Evil". No, wait "Slimy". Yes, "Slimy"!
Stay classy NRCC. And using their great idea outlined, I obviously mean DCCC when I say NRCC. Only a dolt would mistake me saying NRCC for actually meaning NRCC in the context that classy is not a platform they would run on...
So that's how they been winning all those elections with fraudulent donations and websites.
This is the ultimate in pathetic.
LOL, so this is the best the GOP can come up with to score votes – trickery & deceit tactics, because they have nothing else to offer!
R.I.P. GOP...
The people who support this feel it is necessary and justified at this point.
Republicans trying to trick us by using websites counterfeited to look like Democratic websites... Why should we be surprised? They've been tricking us for years: Iraq has WMDs; Iraq oil will pay for the war; Hanging chads in Florida; Trickle down economics will make it to the middle class and poor; Reducing the tax rate on the wealthy will create jobs for the rest of us; Money and freedom of speech are the same thing, thus giving us Citizens United and unbridled money from anonymous sources in politics; Voters must have picture IDs to protect us from voter fraud, etc. The fraud is being committed by the Republican party, and we're their victims.
where's the deception? they direct you to a site and tell you why he isn't good for you. if they told you he was wonderful and donate here, but sent the money to his opposition that's deception.
Yet another example of deliberate un-American deceipt on the part of the Republican party (like voter supression).
They can't prevail via their anti-middle class agenda... so they cheat
Liars, cheaters, decievers, frauds. The modern, moral Republican "leaders" of America.
Wow. That's literally idiotic. I'm sure the backlash will greatly outweigh any potential benefits of such devious trickery.
Only in America..
Honorable politician is an oxymoron.
Republicans can now claim they can put up fake sites better than Obamacare can!
Yay! Politics!
Daniel Scarpinato, are you for real. Holy smoke, I am no republican or democrat. But something tells me that you're going to get fired pretty soon. Because someone in GOP is going to stand for ethics. Don't stoop so low.
"..get out the Republican message through fake Democrat sites."
____________________________________
Wouldn't that have the exact opposite effect? The only message they would be getting out is that the GOP is an underhanded bunch sheisters.
GOP ... looks for a way to get into the gutter and then gets a shovel and digs deeper.
At least the fake Republican site made by the Florida State Democratic Party doesn't ask donations like the fake Democrat sites do.
If you are supposed by this then you are a Republican who has been wearing the blinders for years.
lol The GOP really has lost what few marbles they had left. lol
Anyone surprised?
Criminals! just plain Criminals ...telling us they're the good guys!!! CRIMINALS.