Mom Featured in Anti-Democrat Ad Accusing Candidate of Endangering Children Had Prior Child Endangerment Conviction
Shellie Flockhart, who appeared in a $1 million campaign ad, was previously convicted of child endangerment and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
A conservative Dallas Center city councilwoman who appeared in a campaign video asserting that a Democratic congressional candidate posed a danger to children has a past conviction for child endangerment. Shellie Flockhart, 55, was featured in an advertisement funded by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC supporting Republican efforts in the House.
The ad targeted Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democratic candidate in one of Iowa's closely contested congressional districts, with Flockhart stating, "When it comes to our kids, Sarah is just plain dangerous." The video specifically cited Garriott's votes on transgender issues, including one against a bill that would prohibit schools from allowing students into bathrooms inconsistent with their sex at birth.
However, Flockhart was arrested in 2017 for driving while intoxicated with her two children, aged eight and 11, in the vehicle. According to an affidavit, officers found her car parked on the grass beside a highway, and she exhibited difficulty speaking and comprehending questions. A preliminary breath test revealed her blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit.
Flockhart subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment and one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. She received a fine and was placed on probation for these misdemeanor convictions. In a podcast last year, Flockhart discussed past struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, stating she had since turned her life around.
The advertisement, which cost the super PAC approximately $1 million, has drawn criticism from liberal groups who have highlighted Flockhart's criminal record as hypocritical. A spokesperson for Trone Garriott told The Washington Post, "It's disappointing, but not surprising, that Zach Nunn and his allies have resorted to desperate lies to try to win this election."
The race between Trone Garriott and Republican Zach Nunn has seen shifts in its electoral outlook. The Cook Political Report recently changed its rating for the district from a toss-up to one favoring the Democratic candidate.
This incident marks another controversy for Republican candidate Zach Nunn. Earlier this year, he faced scrutiny following reports of an "explosive closed-door 'temper tantrum'" after a pro-veterans bill he championed was voted down. Additionally, a report from earlier this year detailed Nunn's efforts to profit from a self-published thriller about Chinese AI, espionage, and warfare, despite his purported focus on the actual threats posed by China.