Duncan Hunter's campaign intensifies attacks that falsely claim that his opponent is a "national security risk"

Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Calif.), Whose political future is threatened after his indictment in August for misusing campaign funds, intensifies his attacks on his Democratic opponent, Ammar Campa-Najjar, with a letter accusing it of being a "risk to national security".

The decision came weeks after Hunter's campaign ran a similar-style television commercial, which said the Washington Post's fact-finder had given four Pinocchios for his false or misleading claims and "naked anti-Muslim bias."

Signed by three retired Marine Corps generals currently working as lobbyists, Hunter's campaign letter warns voters against a "security alert" and says Campa-Najjar "has close family ties with the local community. very jihadist groups against which our troops operate ".

"If he got himself elected and saw secret information about US military operations likely to endanger his Najjar family in the Middle East, would he jeopardize US operations to protect his relatives, the Najjars?" "Ask the letter.

Campa-Najjar, a Christian, was born in San Diego and raised by his mother and his Mexican American family. The 29-year-old's grandfather, who died 16 years before his birth, was one of the main organizers of the 1972 attack on Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Campa-Najjar condemned the attack.

The father of Campa-Najjar is a former head of the Palestinian Authority. the candidate separated from him for a while while he was growing up.

The Campa-Najjar campaign reacted by reporting that the candidate had obtained a security clearance from 2013 to 2017, when he had worked at the White House and then at the Department of Labor, while Hunter "could not get any of the 39, security clearance today because of his indictment. The Campa-Najjar campaign described Hunter's campaign letter as "xenophobia and racial baiting".

"Mr. Hunter's continued attacks on himself, his wife and the Department of Justice are not only political, they are pathological," Campa-Najjar said in a statement. "While Hunter makes no sense human responsibility, voters understand that his family is not responsible for his actions and that I am not responsible for the actions of my family. "

In a television interview this summer, Hunter appeared to accuse his wife of his alleged acts. He also criticized the Justice Department, which he described as "the arm of the law enforcement of the Democrats".

Mike Harrison, a spokesman for Hunter, confirmed that the letter had been printed and was being distributed through the MP's campaign. He challenged the idea that the letter was fueling fears based on the Democrat's ethnicity.

"This case has absolutely nothing to do with the heritage of our opponents or the known and existing personal relationships of Ammar Campa-Najjar with the PLO and the Council for American-Islamic Relations," Harrison said.

The Post Verifier has yet to find any evidence that the Campa-Najjar campaign has received Council donations on US-Islamic relations, a 501 (c) (3) entity that is prohibited from doing so. donations or support political candidates.

Advertising comes because the Campa-Najjar fundraiser is booming while Hunter is crackling. Campa-Najjar has raised $ 1.4 million during the third quarter fundraiser and has about $ 685,000 in cash.

Hunter, meanwhile, has raised just over $ 132,000 over the same period and has about $ 247,000. Donald J. Trump, party president, donated $ 2,000 on August 17, five days before the legislator was charged.

Following Hunter's indictment, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), Stated that the legislator would be "removed from office on the committee pending the settlement of this case". Ryan retiring at the end of his current term and successor. Republican leader not yet determined, Hunter's future in the House remains uncertain.

In addition to the letter signed by the three retired generals, the Hunter campaign distributed leaflets featuring a photo of Hunter, a Navy veteran, wearing his military uniform. An image of the leaflet displayed by the Washington Post did not appear to include a disclaimer, required by the Department of Defense's policy, that "neither the military information nor the photographs signify the approval of the Department of Defense. defense or their military department ".

Hunter's Campaign was examined for having previously failed to include such a disclaimer in his television commercials.

Harrison did not specifically comment on the flyer but claimed that the Hunter campaign "has always used appropriate disclaimers on all of our distribution media".

Other publications distributed to district residents include a black and white flyer that warns of the "Najjar family's terror trail". The Hunter campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whether or not it is responsible for advertising.

Salvador Rizzo and Paul Kane contributed to this report.