Jewish Candidate Smeared As Money-Grubber By Republicans
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Sign up for Antisemitism Decoded, the Forward’s guide through the news and noise about Jewish safety, brought to you biweekly by investigative journalist Arno Rosenfeld.
A campaign ad featuring a Jewish Senate candidate greedily clutching money has many calling out its overt anti-Semitic tone.
In the ad is Rep. Matthew Lesser, a Connecticut Democrat who gave up his seat in Connecticut’s House to run for State Senate. The mailer was sent out by Republican Ed Charamut, a member of the Rocky Hill town council, the Hartford Courant reported.
The mailer, which reads, “Vote No On Matt Lesser,” depicts an edited-though-recognizable photo of Lesser holding up $100 bills. Depicting Jews as money-hungry has long been an anti-Semitic stereotype.
“I did not believe them, I thought there was a mistake,” Lesser told the Courant, of his reaction to the barrage of text messages he got regarding the ad. “Someone showed it to me and I think it would be a gross understatement to say I was surprised.”
Charamut could not immediately be reached by the Forward.
Just days ago, a gunman killed 11 people at prayer in a Pittsburgh synagogue, which has been identified as a hate crime.
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
