With a week to go until the Iowa caucus, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and former Vice President Joe Biden are exchanging shots in the Hawkeye State.
Scott released a new TV spot in Iowa this week, hitting Biden and accusing Democrats of “botching this impeachment charade.”
“The real story here is the corruption Joe Biden got away with,” Scott says in the ad, accusing Democrats of “spending so much time in a coverup for Joe Biden.”
The Biden camp fired back on Wednesday, insisting Scott’s attack was “outrageous” and offering reminders how the Florida Republican was forced to plead the Fifth Amendment several times when he led Columbia/HCA. That company pled guilty to 14 felonies and paid more than $600 million in fines in Medicare and healthcare fraud cases.
“Senator Scott is using his own campaign funds to air TV ads in Iowa this week attacking Joe Biden. He’s promoting the same vicious lies and debunked conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump,” Biden’s team insisted. “The truth clearly does not matter to Senator Scott. He’s using this impeachment trial as a means to kiss up to Donald Trump and spin the narrative away from the President’s abuse of power.
“But corruption is no stranger to Senator Scott. Companies that Scott ran admitted to committing felonies. Then as governor, Scott had conflicts of interest,” Biden’s team added. “We can’t let someone as corrupt as Senator Rick Scott make bogus and debunked claims about Joe Biden.”
Pundits have already started to speculate that Scott is already ramping up to run for president in 2024 as this ad introduces him to Iowa which holds the first caucus that kicks off the series of states that determines presidential nominees.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
