Think Delaware politics are getting worse? Here are 5 examples of some serious mudslinging

With a week left before the general election, voters are being inundated with misleading information, questionable allegations and outright dirty tricks aimed at swaying their votes – whether they realize it or not.

The last-minute mudslinging goes beyond candidates and political parties leveling accusations against each other, such as the recent seesawing claims of wrongdoing between Democrats and Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley or the most recent rehash of U.S. Sen. Tom Carper's domestic violence incident from 40 years ago.

They also extend well beyond the security video of Democrat Monique Johns, a Middletown-area candidate for state House, removing her opponent's campaign material from the home of a voter.

Instead, this chicanery has tended to bubble up from anonymous sources, political action committees, third-party advertisers and partisan blogs – although there are some exceptions.

What follows are five prominent examples that have made the rounds in recent weeks.

1. Targeted anti-abortion ads

Anti-abortion advertisements recently began popping up in the social media feeds of people who live in two legislative districts represented by female Democrats.

The ads claim state Sen. Stephanie Hansen of Middletown and Rep. Andria Bennett of Dover are "left wing pro-abortion extremists" who voted to allow abortions "through the 9th month for any reason, making DE a Late Term Abortion Destination."

The spots were paid for by DFPC Action, a third-party advertiser controlled by Nicole Theis. She is executive director of the Seaford-based nonprofit Delaware Family Policy Council, which last year was unable to block the Legislature from passing a controversial abortion bill.

"We're not saying anything different that what we said when the bill was debated," Theis said. "We're using the ads in districts where we had supporters take action and the challengers would have voted differently."

The incumbents do not see it that way.

"These ads are not just misleading," Hansen said. "They are outright lies and they're being targeted against us because we are women."

Delaware law previously allowed abortions only under certain conditions up until 20 weeks. All of those restrictions had been unenforceable since the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, however.

Fearing a move to overturn the federal law under President Donald Trump, the General Assembly voted largely along partisan lines to remove Delaware's hard cap and allow abortions until a fetus is able to survive outside the womb without "extraordinary medical measures," a determination left to medical professionals.

At least 17 other states imposed a similar viability range that generally limits the procedures to before 24 to 26 weeks.

Bennett said she's sent copies of the bill to every constituent who has asked her about the online ad.

"I would like to think my constituents know my record," she said. "But some people just believe what they read on the internet."

2. Mysterious gun control survey

Camden Mayor Justin King, a Republican running for an open seat in the state Senate, describes himself as a staunch defender of the Second Amendment.

So he was surprised to see answers attributed to him in a candidate report card published by the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence.

"I never filled out their survey," he said. "And the answers they have do not reflect my views."

Both King and the Coalition agree the survey was sent to the email address listed on the candidate's website. But King says only two people have access to that email account and he's not one of them.

"One is my former campaign manager and the other runs my social media," he said. "I'm sure one of them sent it in, but I have no way of knowing which one."

King reached out to the Coalition, which initially took down his responses only to repost them a few hours later after tracking the IP address back to King and his campaign.

"We checked and those are the responses we received from the campaign," Matt Sullivan said. "In the interest of fairness, we are not allowing people to submit answers after the deadline and we are not allowing anyone to change their answers either."

King, who is endorsed by the NRA, said he's had to counter the misinformation by having the administrators of the influential Facebook group Delaware Gun Rights vouch for his true positions.

"It's fishy for sure," he said. "But I think voters know where I stand."

3. The great pharma hijacking

King's Democratic opponent, state Rep. Trey Paradee, also has been on the receiving end of some online sabotage.

Visitors to the financial adviser's campaign website were redirected Thursday to an online prescription drug marketplace where they could purchase the generic version of the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis.

"It's not a coincidence this happened on the same day that we had a major fundraiser," he said. "I can't link it to my opponent but I have to believe this was done by someone that at least supports his campaign or at least opposes mine."

Paradee said the issue caused his campaign time and money to regain control of the website.

"It's crazy to think people will go to these lengths to disrupt a local election," he said. "Cyber warfare in a state legislative race? It's just sad and pathetic."

4. Sarcastic immigration signs

While campaign trickery might be rampant online, some folks still prefer good-old, boots-on-the-ground high jinx.

Take for example the blue political signs that reportedly are popping up around Centreville and Hockessin.

"Make Delaware a Sanctuary State," they read. "Vote Democrat."

Voters might easily miss the small print that says the road signs are paid for by the 12th RRDC, a PAC connected to the 12th Republican Representative District Committee.

It's unclear how many of the signs are out there. The 12th RRDC spent about $150 to order them from a Texas business called Signs on the Cheap.

Some candidates say they've only heard about them and not seen them in the wild. But reports indicate they've gone up around the area where the 12th Representative District, which shares real estate with the Fourth Senate District, overlaps with the 22nd Representative District.

It just so happens that Laura Sturgeon and Guillermina Gonzalez, the Democratic candidates for the Fourth Senate and 22nd House seats respectively, are both Latina.

Gonzalez, who grew up in Mexico, said the intent is clearly to create division.

"These signs are counter-productive," she said. "Our elections should be about the candidates' principles and the issues not this kind of thing."

David Staats, treasurer of the 12th RDCC, did not return messages seeking comment. Sturgeon's opponent, incumbent state Sen. Greg Lavelle, said he's never seen the signs and declined to comment.

But Michael Smith, the Republican running against Gonzalez, said he agrees with his political opponent.

"My campaign has been very clean and I've been running on the issues," he said. "I don't like the fact these signs are out there and getting in the way of that so close to the election."

5. The Mike Ramone blitz

No candidate in Delaware has been the subject of more anonymous tips from political operatives this year than Pike Creek Republican Michael Ramone.

A moderate who represents a district where Democratic voters make up a plurality, Ramone has been targeted by Democrats who are hoping challenger Stephanie Barry can help extend their super-majority in the House.

First Democrats leaked that Ramone's Delaware Swim and Fitness Center had been shut down because he was hosting a nudist club there. What they did not mention was the group, Delaware Spa Parties, had been meeting there for 25 years and the temporary closure was due to insufficient chlorine levels.

More recently, a partisan blog alleged Ramone threatened the nonprofit Paws for People until they fired Barry from her job at Paws for People – a claim previously pushed by Democratic political operatives.

While there is evidence Ramone asked the nonprofit if it was endorsing Barry, neither Barry nor Paws for People founder Lynne Robinson have said Ramone was responsible for them parting ways.

The same partisan blog pushed out another post this month that came directly from Democratic insiders.

This time, they claimed Ramone committed insider trading and violated ethics laws when he voted for a 2017 bill that permitted companies incorporated in Delaware to use blockchain technology to maintain certain corporate records.

The bill, they claim, led to a windfall for Ramone and the Delaware Board of Trade, a company in which he invested. 

What they do not mention is that the bill was not introduced by Ramone. It came from a Democrat. Ramone did not even sign on as a co-sponsor.

His vote also was not instrumental to its passage. The legislation cleared the General Assembly on the last day of the 2017 legislative session, 60-1.

Lawyers for Ramone and DBOT strongly dispute that the bill had any impact on the company. But an official with the Democratic Party released a statement that "suggested" the state's Public Integrity Commission look into the allegations.

The problem is the DPIC does not oversee state lawmakers. Only the General Assembly can police legislators and to date no member of the House has publicly called for an investigation.

The candidate, meanwhile, denies having committed any wrongdoing.

“Seeing lies and falsehoods spread about you is always hurtful and deeply disappointing," Ramone said in an email released by his lawyer. "I just hope that it doesn’t discourage good people from getting involved, and I take comfort in realizing that my constituents know me for who I am and not for the lies that are being spread.”

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.