Ex-LA Mayoral Candidate Releases Text Messages From Wendy Greuel In Wake Of Attack Ad
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Former Los Angeles Republican mayoral candidate Kevin James is fighting back against an attack ad released by Wendy Greuel in an unconventional way.
In a mailer, Greuel criticized James for his support of rival Eric Garcetti and identified him as an "Obama Hater!"
The ad went on to describe James as a divisive, right-wing talk radio host with views that are too extreme for Angelenos.
"The only reason she's attacking me is because I endorsed Eric and not her," James said.
Representatives for James immediately released private text messages he received from Greuel after the March 5 primary, which showed how she tried to land James' endorsement.
In the one of the texts, Greuel wrote, "Thanks again for Friday night—we could have talked for hours. I need your advice on something when u have a moment. Good time to chat?"
In other messages, she wrote, "I am stalking you :)" and "U are beloved—I hear it a lot!"
"The tone is very friendly," James said. "It's very cordial. I am being courted."
James continued, "She's attacked me in a way that makes her out to be a pretty clear hypocrite. To be attacked in such an underhanded, backhanded way is indicative of the desperation of the dishonesty and the hypocrisy her campaign is based on."
Greuel said she would have asked James to apologize for former controversial remarks about Pres. Barack Obama before ever accepting his endorsement.
"I was anxious to meet with him and talk to him about the race. But what I would have done if I had the chance, if we were to have that kind of endorsement, would have been to say, 'The comments that you made, I want you to take them back. I felt like they were inappropriate,'" she told KCAL9's Randy Paige.
