Democrat who reportedly earned over $200,000 last year appears in campaign ad showing son in duct-taped sandals, in-window AC unit off since 'times are tough'

A Michigan Democrat running for Congress — who reportedly earned more than $200,000 last year — appeared in a campaign ad showing her son wearing duct-taped sandals and an in-window air conditioner turned off since "times are tough."

What are the details?

The ad for Hillary Scholten — whom the Washington Free Beacon said is in "one of the country's most competitive congressional races" — shows her with her family, presumably in their home, with visual signs that inflation has hit them like everybody else.

"Times are tough," Scholten says in the ad. "And like most Michigan families, we're making do with less and making things last longer."

That's when images of the turned-off AC unit and her son's barely-hanging-in-there sandals show up:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

She continues: "With things so expensive, it's tiring watching politicians fight each other instead of working for us. Both sides need to give: Democrats should stop the spending, and Republicans need to focus on people, not power. I approve this message. In Congress, I'll focus on the issues that matter most to Michigan families because they matter to mine, too."

Upon further review

However, the Free Beacon said Scholten earned more than $200,000 last year as an immigration attorney for a Grand Rapids-area law firm, based on a review of Scholten's financial disclosure forms.

The outlet added that her family's total income likely was far more since Scholten's husband received consulting fees from two nonprofits while earning a salary as a professor at a local university.

The Free Beacon said Scholten did not respond to a request for comment.

Toughyoutu.be

Anything else?

Despite saying in her ad that Democrats should "stop the spending," the outlet reported that Scholten "has backed seemingly every Democratic spending proposal since President Joe Biden entered office. In March, she celebrated the one-year anniversary of the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan."

Scholten will face Republican John Gibbs in November for the state's Third Congressional District, the Free Beacon said, adding that the Republican Peter Meijer currently holds the seat. The outlet noted that Scholten ran against Meijer in 2020 and lost by five points.