The Democrat in Alabama’s Senate race is using quotes from Republicans in an ad addressing sexual misconduct allegations against Republican candidate Roy Moore, including quotes from Ivanka Trump.
The first daughter commented on the scandal in an interview with the Associated Press last week. “There’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” she said. “I’ve yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims’ accounts.”
Doug Jones’ new Senate ad uses those quotes, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whose former Senate seat is the one up for grabs in next month’s special election, telling the House Judiciary Committee last week, “I have no reason to doubt these young women.”
And it also uses the words of Alabama’s other senator, Richard Shelby (R), who said last week that he would “absolutely not” vote for Moore and instead write in the name of a “distinguished Republican” on the ballot.
At least nine women have publicly accused Moore of sexual contact with a minor, groping or pursuing relationships when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.
The Jones ad comes a day after one of Moore’s initial accusers, Leigh Corfman, told her story on the Today show.
Corfman described Moore approaching her outside an Alabama courthouse while her mother was inside, asking for her phone number and taking her back to his house on their first meeting.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it a date. I would say it was a meet. At 14, I was not dating. At 14, I was not able to make those kind of choices,” she said.
They met another time and again went to Moore’s house, where she said he laid blankets on the living room floor and “proceeded to, um, seduce me, I guess you would say.” Corfman said Moore undressed her except for her bra and underwear, left the room and returned wearing only underwear.
“He touched me over my clothing, what was left of it, and he tried to get me to touch him as well,” she said, adding that she became scared and asked Moore to take her home. “I was a 14-year-old child trying to play in an adult’s world, and he was 32 years old,” she said.
Corfman said she initially told friends, and eventually family. “When he called again, I didn’t go. I made an excuse and I didn’t go,” she said.
Said Moore in a recent open letter to Sean Hannity: “I adamantly deny the allegations of Leigh Corfman and Beverly Nelson, did not date underage girls, and have taken steps to begin a civil action for defamation. Because of that, at the direction of counsel, I cannot comment further.”
A Gravis poll taken Nov. 14-15 showed Jones 5 points ahead of Moore, while a Fox News poll conducted Nov. 13-15 showed Jones 8 points ahead. A Fox 10/Strategy Research poll conducted Nov. 13 gave Moore a 6-point advantage.
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