Did Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson 'Allow' Impeachment Hearings?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A tough new political ad accuses Minnesota Democratic Congressman Collin Peterson of "allowing" impeachment to move forward against President Trump.
But is that fair? Or even true?
The ad from the conservative American Action Network links Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson to the most liberal Democrats pushing impeachment.
Here is the full text of the ad:
Now it's crystal clear. Their partisan impeachment is a politically-motivated charade. Collin Peterson promised to be different, but he's not. Instead of working to secure our border, and pass a new trade deal with our neighbors that creates real jobs, he's allowing the endless partisan investigations to continue. Tell Congressman Peterson: Let the voters decide elections. Vote no on impeachment, and get to work.
What makes it so puzzling is that Peterson is one of only two Democrats to vote against the impeachment inquiry, calling it "hopelessly partisan." And he described the impeachment process as "stupid" to Minnesota Public Radio.
READ MORE: Reality Check: Minnesota Politicians Who Vote With Trump
"You can't do this with one party. You know, it's not smart, and it's not going to work. I think if this is handled incorrectly, it will reelect Trump," Peterson said.
In fact, Peterson is not just a conservative Democrat -- he's the most conservative Democrat in Congress. He represents a district President Donald Trump won by 31 points, and a district that votes with the president almost 50% of the time.
Peterson is anti-abortion and pro-gun. He is one of only three Democrats left in Congress who voted against Obamacare. And rather than cast a ballot for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Peterson didn't vote for anyone.
He hasn't made up his mind on how he will vote on impeachment – and that is what the ad is targeting.
"Tell Congressman Peterson: Let the voters decide elections. Vote 'no' on impeachment, and get to work," the ad's narrator said.
READ MORE: 'Give Trump The Money': DFL Rep. Collin Peterson Supports Border Wall Funding
A spokesman for American Action Network, Calvin Moore, told us in a statement:
If Collin Peterson doesn't like ads being run in his district, then he should get off fence and take a firm stand against Pelosi's attempt to remove President Trump from office. By his own admission Collin Peterson has said he is still considering voting to impeach President Trump. It's time for Collin to show some backbone and tell voters where he stands.
That's tough, but fair in politics. But to say Peterson is "allowing the endless partisan investigations to continue" is false. Peterson told WCCO, "I don't know how I could be allowing it to go forward when I voted against it."
American Action Network was co-founded by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman. The group is running similar ads against other Democrats across the country.
Here are some of the sources we used for this Reality Check:
American Action Network Website
Minnesota Action Network Website
Roll Call: Collin Peterson Profile
GovTrack.us: The Most Conservative Democrat in Congress
FiveThirtyEight.com: Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump
Politico: GOP Seeks To Dethrone Collin Peterson, One Of The Hill's Few Rural Democrats
MPR News: Peterson Defends Impeachment Inquiry Vote; Remains Undecided About Running Again
Washington Examiner: Democrats Who Voted Against Obamacare Wary Of GOP Bill
The Center For Public Integrity: Norm Coleman Sees Big Paydays From Nonprofits