Senator Kay Hagan (D., N.C.), one of the top Republican targets this cycle, admitted that she skipped an Armed Services Committee hearing to attend a campaign fundraiser.
“There was one and what had happened at that hearing, it was scheduled early in the day, and then votes were scheduled, and that hearing then had to be postponed later that day, so yes, I did miss that one,” Hagan said after her second debate with Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis. “[B]ut you know what? Speaker Tillis’ hometown newspaper called on him to resign, because he missed so many days in the legislature because he was out fundraising.”
The Washington Free Beacon reported that Hagan had missed a February hearing pertaining to the threat posed by the terrorist group ISIS.
“That night there was cocktail reception fundraiser for Hagan in New York City with tickets going for up to $5,200,” the report noted.
Tillis, whose campaign released an ad attacking Hagan over her attendance record on the committee, jumped on the admission in a Tuesday night statement.
“The most important job of a U.S. Senator is to keep our nation safe, and tonight Senator Hagan unbelievably admitted that she places a higher priority on raising money than attending important national security briefings,” he said. “Even worse, for weeks, Sen. Hagan and her campaign have been attempting to mislead North Carolinians with excuses on why she has skipped over half of her Armed Services Committee hearings. North Carolina deserves a U.S. Senator who actually shows up to briefings to put our national security first.”