Why Voters Don’t Trust Darrell Issa

There’s a reason why voters, Republicans and Democrats alike, don’t trust Darrell Issa. From his very public criminal past, unethical business dealings, steering millions in taxpayer dollars to increase his net worth to seven hundred million dollars, to abandoning his district and his values-- Darrell Issa has always looked out for himself, he’ll do or say anything to enrich himself and sellout everyone to buy power in Washington. 

Too corrupt for Trump?

The only reason Issa is running for Congress again is because he was rejected for a Trump administration job after an FBI background check exposed his criminal past, including multiple arrests for car theft and illegal weapon possession. with grand theft auto, arrested and convicted for illegal possession of guns and tear gas, accused of arson to collect insurance money, and was demoted in the military for unsatisfactory conduct. If Issa is too corrupt to represent Trump, isn’t he too corrupt to represent us in congress? [Citation: The New Yorker] 

Issa is now treating CA50 as his rebound, a fallback plan, a district he doesn’t live in that he can exploit for his own quest for power. In Issa’s own words: “Quite frankly, if I’m not confirmed by Nov. 3, then I expect I’ll be a candidate for the congressional seat.”

Issa took PPP loans from small businesses who needed it and used it to fund his campaign

While small businesses in our community struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic, Issa cut to the front of the line and pocketed over 150 thousand dollars in taxpayer money for his multi-

million-dollar empire. As if that weren’t bad enough, his financial filings show his spouse drawing a salary from their jointly held business receiving the relief. Yet again, Issa put himself over voters, shutting out local businesses from critical PPP loans when they needed it most. That same financial quarter he loaned his campaign exactly $150,000. 

[Citation: SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loan Level Data, box.com] 
[businesssearch.sos.ca.gov; Issa Financial Disclosure Reports, 1/21/20; 6/19/20]

Corrupt AND Unreliable? Issa abandons his values as quickly as he abandoned his old district (CA-49)

Darrell Issa may be corrupt, but so was Hunter. What’s the difference? Hunter was corrupt but a reliable conservative, Darrell Issa is corrupt AND an unreliable conservative. His record is full of flip flops and contradictions, proving that he’s only in it for himself. 

To those voters who held their nose and voted for Hunter because of his conservative votes in Congress, Darrell Issa is both corrupt and his record is inconsistent. 

As conservative leader Carl DeMaio pointed out during the 2020 primary: 

• Issa claims to be pro-life, but as recent as 2018 Darrell Issa said he votes to find planned parenthood 16 times. A claim that turns out to be false (Citation here). He also pledged to continue funding planned parenthood during a congressional town hall. (Citation: here and OC Register)

• Issa claims to be a pro-Trump, pro-border, anti-immigration conservative, but in 2013 Issa AUTHORED a Bill that would give amnesty to 11 million undocumented immigrants. [Citation: Politico]

• In April 2017, Issa said Trump’s wall was “unnecessary,” now he’s changed his tune to avoid Trump’s condemnation. [Citation: The Voice of San Diego]

• Issa claims to be pro Israel, but as congressman he called Israel an “Apartheid State.” [Citation: The Washington Post and American Unity Pac Part 2]

• Issa referred to the 9/11 attacks as “a fire” that “simply was an aircraft” hitting the World Trade Center building and he voted AGAINST federal aid for 9/11 responders who fell ill after working in Ground Zero.  [Citation: Mother Jones, The Daily News, The New York Post, Clerk of the House – Issa Votes Not on James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act] 

• Issa, an Arab himself, Issa has dined with Yassar Arafat and praised him, has been sympathetic towards Islamic terrorist group, Hezbollah saying, “I have a great deal of sympathy for the work that Hezbollah tries to do...” and was the first member of Congress to meet with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a state sponsor of terrorism. [Citations: American Unity PAC Part 1, American Unity Pac Part 2, The Daily Star, and Mother Jones]

• Issa was the first Republican congressman to call for the Russia investigation and said Trump would be the WORST thing to ever happen and would single-handedly bring down the Republican Party in 2015. Now, Issa is praising Trump calling him great? [Citation: Breitbart, California College Republicans, The Hill]

• Issa villainized his LGBTQ rival Carl Demaio in 2020 over his sexual orientation. But in Congress, Issa voted in favor of taxpayer funding for transgender operations in the military through the Department of Defense. [Citation: Clerk of the House]

Issa sold his business and bought a congressional seat to leverage tax dollars into a $700 million personal empire

Eighteen years. That’s how long Darrell Issa spent in Washington wooing lobbyists and taking millions in campaign contributions from dark money groups, big corporations, and billionaire donors. He then voted over and over to benefit the people who funded his campaigns at the expense of California families. Issa steered millions in taxpayer dollars to help his own businesses, increasing his net worth seven hundred million dollars 

[Citation: New York Times and Open Secrets ]

Issa is hated by his former colleagues

Issa embodies the worst of Washington DC. A non-partisan ethics organization named him one of the most corrupt members of Congress, saying he, quote, “claims to defend the law, but then places himself above it to suit his political agenda.” And the Union-Tribune called him, quote, “one of the more divisive figures in Washington.” [Citation: San Diego Union-Tribune]

Issa tried to take away your healthcare

Issa voted to eliminate health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, increase the cost of prescription drugs, and tax older Americans extra, according to the AARP.

[Citation: CNN Part 1 and CNN Part 2]

Issa voted to raise your taxes

Issa votes to serve special interests and himself, like when he bowed to party leaders and voted for tax bills to raise taxes on middle-class families and homeowners but give big breaks to big corporations and millionaires.