Ali Calls Out King on Slate Issue

District 39 Senate challenger Saqib Ali has called on Senator Nancy King to return all campaign money she has collected from the alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries. He is also urging her to leave a slate controlled by Senate President Mike Miller that we believe funded a push poll against Ali with tobacco money. King's campaign tried to rebut that allegation this afternoon. In the meantime, King has signed on to support an alcohol tax increase after Ali and his supporters have criticized her over alcohol-related issues for months. Following is Ali's press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2010

ALI CONTINUES GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING PUSH, CALLS ON KING TO RETURN TAINTED CAMPAIGN FUNDS

State Senate Challenger Speaks Out Against Special Interest Involvement in District 39 Race

(Gaithersburg, MD)- State Delegate Saqib Ali reported that 77% of his campaign funds have come from individuals in his most recent campaign finance report. By contrast, his opponent Nancy King reported that only 24% of her funds were donated by individuals.

“I am proud that the vast majority of my funds come from ordinary people,” said Ali. “If elected to the State Senate I will be responsive to my constituents and not beholden to the alcohol, tobacco, or gambling industries.”

King also accepted $6,750 from alcohol and gambling interests in the past fundraising period alone, while a slate she is a member of took $3,000 from the tobacco behemoth Phillip Morris Corporation.* This slate also paid for a "push-poll" that spread verifiably false information about Ali.

“I have never taken a dime from the alcohol or gambling industries” said Ali. “We already knew that Nancy King had taken $8,500 from gambling mogul William Rickman through the notorious LLC campaign finance loophole. These new revelations further underscore just how beholden Nancy is to the special interests that control Annapolis and undermine the safety of our children. No real Democrat would ever rely so completely on dirty money."

Ali went on to say,"I urge Nancy to immediately return all the money that her campaign has directly or indirectly received from the gambling, alcohol and tobacco industries. She should also withdraw from the incumbent Senate slate which is funded by Phillip Morris Corporation. These actions must be taken in a public and independently verifiable way."

Ali, who lives in Gaithersburg, was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2006 and represents Maryland’s 39th Legislative District, which includes Washington Grove and parts of Gaithersburg, Germantown, North Potomac, Montgomery Village and Derwood. In the private sector, he works as a software engineer. Ali received a Bachelors and Masters Degree from University of Maryland College Park in computer science. Ali and his wife Susan are proud parents of two young daughters, Sofia and Sascha. You can learn more about Ali and his campaign by visiting www.Ali4Senate.com.

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* http://maryland-politics.blogspot.com/2010/08/big-daddy-smokes-saqib-ali.html

Friends of Nancy King Contributions from Alcohol and Gambling Interests (Source: Maryland BOE):

Maryland Jockey Club, $500, 6/28/2010
Arundel Amusements, Inc. T/A Bingo World, $1,000, 6/02/2010
Delta Bingo Holdings, Inc., $1,000, 6/01/2010
Donald Wayson Bingo Account, $1,000, 5/27/2010
Maryland Beer Wholesalers Association PAC, $250, 6/19/2010
MD-DE-DC Beverage Association, $1,000, 7/28/2010
Thoroughbred Horseman's PAC, $1,000, 6/04/2010
Blake Cordish (of Cordish Cos.), $1,000, 7/29/2010