City Council Candidate Disavows Misogynist Campaign Fliers Depicting Opponent In Bikini, As Criminal
LAKE FOREST (CBSLA) — A local city council race has gotten so ugly, one candidate is even defending his opponent against an offensive and erroneous flier Orange County residents received Friday.
Lake Forest City Council 2 candidate Neeki Moatazedi told CBS2 there's no truth to the mailers depicting her as a criminal. Another seemingly shames her for her physical appearance.
One shows Maotazedi and her opponent Sonny Morper. Under Morper's "record of accomplishment & experience," it lists he is a principal and teacher, as well as some of his professional associations. Under Moatazedi's, it says she is a bodybuilder next to a photo of her in a bikini suit. It also lists three criminal record numbers she says are fake and says she lives with her parents.
The second flier shows a stock photo of a woman in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.
"They specifically picked someone with dark, curly hair, so that insinuates that it is me, but it is not me," Moatazedi told CBS2 News.
She posted a photo of the flier with the caption reading, "WOW no words no words as I see yet ANOTHER hit piece on me. I am shaking I have NEVER been arrested nor do I have a criminal record for goodness sake..... This is corruption at it's [sic] finest here in our small city of Lake Forest. Will anyone stop these people?!??!"
Surprisingly, one of the people who is asking the dirty campaign to stop is Morper, himself.
"To everyone who's within earshot of this broadcast, to know that I don't support that kind of stuff," Morper told CBS2. "It's terrible. I'm the father of a woman."
The 75-year-old stated he has nothing to do with the mailers but thinks he knows who is behind them, though he has no proof. "For those who don't know me, they don't know the difference. They see a poor woman who's maligned in these two pieces of literature, and it's terrible," said Morper.
As for the photo in the bathing suit, Moatazedi said her past as a bodybuilder proves she is a hard worker, and that it should be used as a sign of female empowerment, not to shame her.
"They're basically insinuating I'm a street walker," said Moatazedi, who had a suggestion for Morper.
"I would say the best thing to do, if you really think that this is wrong and you had nothing, no involvement, nothing to do with this, maybe think about withdrawing from the race," said Moatazedi.
Moper rejected that idea.
"Well, I think that's a convenient solution that really is not a solution," replied Morper. "The truth of the matter is it would be tantamount to agreeing that I was responsible for this and, therefore, guilt by association. That's not gonna happen."
Voters will decide the candidates' fates on Nov. 6.
