Cooley
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - California's Republican candidate for attorney general, Steve Cooley, is fighting back against his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, airing his first television ad this week.
With less than two weeks until the election, Cooley's campaign made the announcement Monday it was "spending significant funds" in the state's major media markets.
The 30-second spot, called "Above the Law," uses a string of newspaper headlines to slam Harris' record and tout Cooley's law enforcement support.
To date, Cooley's campaign said he has been endorsed by 47 professional law enforcement organizations.
The ad starts with a picture of the San Francisco district attorney superimposed on a background of the city, with the Golden Gate Bridge and dark, ominous clouds overhead.
The segment goes on to detail what Cooley's campaign feels are Harris' "most noteworthy controversies" in her career:
-Her strong opposition to the death penalty and her refusal to seek the death penalty in all cases, even the murder of San Francisco police officer Isaac Espinoza;
-Her mishandling of a scandal in the San Francisco Crime Lab. Harris' office was criticized by a judge for failing to discharge its legal responsibilities. Hundreds of cases were ultimately dismissed; and
-Her support for San Francisco's Sanctuary City policy under which San Francisco officials refused to turn illegal aliens who are convicted criminals over to federal immigration authorities for deportation.
The ad also notes the Los Angeles County district attorney's creation of a Public Integrity Unit and his 10-year record of "aggressively pursuing public corruption."
The spot ends with Cooley walking through Los Angeles, chatting with cops, slapping Bell officials with public corruption charges and sitting behind a large desk.
Harris' camp has not commented on Cooley's first ad.
This Thursday, President Barack Obama is reportedly making a trip to California to support Harris, whom he's already endorsed for attorney general.
The results of a survey performed by San Francisco-based David Binder Research earlier this month showed Harris slightly ahead of her opponent, with 30 percent to 27 percent of likely voters' support.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by e-mail at jessica@legalnewsline.com.