Ethics

Moore PAC targets Hogan on ethics

“Hogan made history serving himself. Maryland deserves a Senator who serves us," the new ad says.

Madison Fernandez

A super PAC tied to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is stepping up its attacks against Larry Hogan, Moore's predecessor in the Annapolis governor’s mansion who’s vying for an open Senate seat.

Unity First, the super PAC with ties to Moore, launched its first TV spot in the race for Maryland Senate, first shared with POLITICO. The criticisms in the ad center on reporting from a TIME Magazine article from earlier this month that says Hogan, a Republican, was “the first governor in Maryland history to make millions of dollars while in office” and that “nearly 40 percent of the competitive affordable housing awards overseen by the governor went to developers listed as clients” on his real estate brokerage firm’s website — raising potential ethical concerns.

Hogan has pushed back against that article, calling it an “October surprise” and an “old, false conspiracy theory.”

“Ethics watchdogs call it a serious conflict of interest,” the narrator says. “Hogan made history serving himself. Maryland deserves a Senator who serves us.”

The six-figure investment across broadcast, cable and digital is a welcome boon for Democratic Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. While many national groups are supporting her on air, Republicans still have a spending advantage — thanks in large part to Maryland’s Future, a pro-Hogan super PAC that has dropped more than $20 million from Labor Day through the election, according to ad tracker AdImpact.

Unity First’s attack is a novel one in this race, where most of the Democratic broadsides against Hogan have centered on abortion. Last month, Unity First’s opening digital attack ad was focused on that issue.

But Hogan isn’t the only one to be hit over finances. Republicans have taken to the airwaves to go after Alsobrooks, citing a CNN report that she took tax cuts she didn’t qualify for. Alsobrooks has said she wasn’t aware of those credits, and will pay them back.

Moore has campaigned hard for Alsobrooks since the competitive Democratic primary.