An independent super PAC has been launched to help Republican Mazie Pilip defeat former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi in the Feb. 13 special election to fill the House seat vacated by the expulsion of lying former Rep. George Santos.
The New York PAC Secure is running six-figure radio and digital ads blasting the Democrat as a “sanctuary suozim,” backing illegal immigration and calling him an “endorsement” of President Biden.
The group has also set up a website, sanctuarysuozzi.com.
It's the first major investment the Republican base has made in the nationally watched race since Suozzi and national Democrats launched an offensive two weeks ago with fierce anti-Pirlip television ads.
The radio ad replays footage of Suozzi from his 2022 Democratic primary for governor in an attempt to get him to retract his comments.
During a CBS debate with Gov. Kathy Hockle and New York City Public Attorney Jumaane Williams, Suozzi bragged that he “kicked ICE in the nuts” when he was mayor of Nassau County. [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] I'm from Nassau County.”
The radio ad shows the couple solving a crossword puzzle.
“This crossword is tormenting me. It's a six-letter word that means 'dangerously weak,'” the man said.
“Sanctuary Tom Suozzi. He is a dangerous immigrant,” the woman says.
“Oh, that career politician has become a member of parliament again,” her husband replied.
“He voted multiple times in favor of funding sanctuary cities,” his wife said.
Then my husband says that the six-letter word “Suozzi” doesn't fit into the puzzle after all.
“That's fine,” his wife says. “Sanctuary Tom Suozzi is also unfit for Congress.”
The Pro-Piripp PAC also noted that when Suozzi was mayor of Nassau County, local police were prohibited from questioning immigrants about their legal status unless they were arrested for a crime.
“Tom Suozzi was wrong about illegal immigration long before Joe Biden failed New York with his open border policies,” said Arie Lipnick, executive director of Secure NYS. “The last thing New Yorkers need is 'Sanctuary Suozzi,' an open, 100% endorsement of Joe Biden and his open southern border policies.”
Suozzi's campaign countered Monday that the Republican ad was a cheap attack.
“Tom Suozzi even disagrees with his own party on immigration. [former GOP Congressman] “Peter King talked about bipartisan solutions that would strengthen border security and treat people like human beings. Madge Pilip's immigration policy is a complete sham. She makes incoherent generalizations dictated by party leaders who would rather play politics than address a real crisis. She is so ignorant and ill-prepared that she can't even show up to debate the issues,” said Kim Devlin, a senior adviser to Suozzi.
Suozzi's campaign also said it cut cooperation with ICE after the agency conducted a “botched” raid in 2007 that caught only six of the 96 fugitives targeted.
He did not declare Nassau County a “sanctuary county,” they added.
Seeking to preempt expected criticism from the right over the immigration crisis, Suozzi wrote President Biden on Jan. 2 that the federal government has left New York City and other cities in a bind, without the resources to absorb the relentless waves of new immigrants that are overwhelming their communities.
The Feb. 13 special election is being watched nationwide as a harbinger of which party will secure control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 5 election. Republicans currently hold a slim 220-213 majority with two vacant seats.
Pirip, 44, is a two-term Nassau County Councilwoman and mother of seven. Originally from Ethiopia, she immigrated to Israel at age 12 and served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) before moving to the United States with her husband.
Suozzi, 61, served three terms in the House of Representatives, representing much of Nassau County and parts of eastern Queens.
Santos became the sixth member of the U.S. House of Representatives to be expelled on December 1, just over a year after winning the election despite having fabricated much of his personal and professional history.
He was subsequently indicted on numerous charges relating to embezzlement of his campaign funds and other wrongdoing, which he denies.
