The Nunes campaign chose to attack the press rather than provide any proof that Nunes is actually a farmer.
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) wants voters to believe he is a farmer, so he's claiming to be one on the ballot. But there's one big problem: He doesn't appear to be a farmer.
Now Nunes is in a jam, facing a lawsuit over his “farmer” claim. Asked for details on his supposed farming business, he's refusing to provide them and instead taking a page from Trump by attacking the press.
In response to a recent inquiry over the "farmer" lawsuit, the Nunes campaign responded with a statement to McClatchy Newspapers that said, "I'm sure the left-wing activist groups that sponsor these stunts are thrilled they can continue to depend on McClatchy and the Fresno Bee to obediently report their talking points." The campaign did not provide proof that Nunes is a farmer.
This is not the first instance of Nunes attacking the media for doing their job of asking questions.
In July, Nunes ran a two-minute long commercial attacking the Fresno Bee, the main paper covering his home district. In the ad, Nunes accused the paper, without offering any evidence, of working with "radical left-wing groups," to produce "fake news stories."
The Fresno Bee has endorsed Nunes every two years since 2002, yet that did not stop Nunes from hurling unfounded attacks on the paper.
But Nunes has been unhappy with reporting on a multitude of scandals, including lavish campaign spending on things like expensive steak dinners, limousine rides, and nearly $15,000 in tickets for the Boston Celtics.
In an ironic twist, the Nunes campaign set up and funds its own "news" site online, called "The California Republican," which the campaign uses to attack rivals.
The lawsuit brought against Nunes claims he has not "earned income from farming or agriculture operations in at least 10 years," reports the Mercury News.
California Farm Bureau bylaws state that a farmer is a person who "derives a substantial portion of his or her gross income from farming operations," Dave Kranz, spokesperson for the California Farm Bureau Federation, told Mercury News.
While Nunes is a part-owner of a winery in California, most of his time is occupied as a lapdog covering up for the Trump administration. According to his own financial reports, Nunes received less than $5,000 from his investment in the winery, which seems insubstantial compared to his $174,000 annual congressional salary.
But like Trump, Nunes would rather attack the messenger as "fake news" than speak about his fraudulent "occupation" or his numerous scandals.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
