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.

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“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 fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

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