We are about to hit the home stretch in the fight for Senate control and Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz can’t seem to stop himself from saying the wrong things. Last week, he made light of his Democratic opponent Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s health. Now, his campaign is going after two Black campaign staffers who were wrongly convicted of second-degree murder.
As Business Insider notes, Oz’s campaign released a press release referring to Lee and Dennis Horton as convicted murderers. They also doubled down on that notion in a Twitter post, saying the brothers “were convicted in the murder and are now paid by [Fetterman’s] campaign.”
Lee and Dennis Horton were initially accused of giving a ride to a friend who killed a man at a Philadelphia bar. They were said to be unaware that their childhood friend was carrying a gun he had just used. The brothers maintained their innocence and rejected plea deals, leading them to stay in prison for 27 years. As the Philly Inquirer points out, their sentences were commuted in February 2021 when Fetterman advocated for their release.
Oz’s campaign, of course, left all of that out, and Fetterman had a lot to respond with.
“Going after two campaign staffers is a new low for Dr. Oz,” Fetterman said in response. He described the Hortons as “wrongfully convicted” and said that fighting for their release “was one of the proudest moments of my career, and I’m honored to have them on this team.”
“Does Dr. Oz believe that the wrongfully convicted should die in prison?” Fetterman continued. “Does this man have any compassion? He’s making a predictable and fear-mongering attack against two men who spent 27 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit.”