Pelosi and Carbajal spend more than $300,000 on attack ads

May 20, 2016

Statement from Katcho Achadjian’s campaign

Salud Carbajal and Congresswoman and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have spent more than a quarter-million dollars in an effort to slander Assemblyman and Congressional Candidate Katcho Achadjian.

Mailers began filling mailboxes last week and television ads in both Spanish and English began airing this week claiming that Katcho hates immigrants and women. Assemblyman Achadjian’s voting record however tells a much different story.

Just a few of the bills Katcho has sponsored or supported that protect women in the State Assembly include:

·         AB 65 (Achadjian, 2013) – closed a loophole and strengthened protections for victims of rape.

·         AB 1517 (Skinner, 2014) –sets timelines for law enforcement agencies and crime labs to perform and process DNA testing of rape kit evidence.

·         SB 358 (Jackson, 2015) – prohibits an employer from paying any of its employees wage rates less than the rate paid to employees of the opposite sex for substantially similar work.

·         SB 400 (Jackson, 2013) – prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

·         AB 1443 (Skinner, 2013) – extends workplace protections against sex discrimination and harassment to unpaid interns.

“I’m confident in my own merits to run an issue-focused clean campaign,” Katcho said in response to the attacks. “As an immigrant myself, I know the value of hard work and want to make the American dream a reality for all. As a husband and father, I have a long record of protecting women on issues of wage discrimination, domestic violence, and sexual assault. And I will continue to do so.”

Katcho Achadjian’s daughter and campaign manager Nyri Achadjian questions the negative attacks.

“My father would never run a negative ad because he has confidence in the merits of his own record,” Nyri Achadjian said. “The progress women have made in this country ought to be a lesson that attack ads harm all of us and stifle the very necessary conversation around these issues. I am disappointed in their tactics.”

Prior to serving in the California State Assembly, Katcho was elected to the San Luis Obispo County’s Board of Supervisors where he served for three consecutive terms.

Katcho Achadjian is the leading candidate in the race for the 24th Congressional District, which encompasses Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, and part of Ventura County. Katcho has represented the residents of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties for more than a decade. He lives in San Luis Obispo with his family.