Critics Call Malloy Ad 'Exploitation,' Sandy Hook Mom Disagrees

By Wendy Mitchell

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is making his response to the Sandy Hook School shootings an issue for his 2014 campaign, the Associated Press reported.

Malloy’s new 30-second campaign ad was released Monday and features Sandy Hook mom Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was one of 20 children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Hockley said in the ad, “Governor Malloy has the courage and conviction to stand up and do the right thing.”

The ad also said Malloy is “providing the leadership to protect our families from gun violence.”

Click here to watch the Dan Malloy 2014 campaign ad on YouTube.

Critics are saying that Malloy using the Sandy Hook and Superstorm Sandy tragedies for political gain is exploitation.

State Republican Party Chair Jerry Labriola Jr. wrote in a statement, “In his latest attempt to distract voters from his abysmal record on jobs and his failure to grow Connecticut’s economy, Governor Malloy manages to exploit both the Newtown tragedy and the devastation of Hurricane Sandy for political gain.”

Mark Bergman, Malloy campaign spokesman, said Nicole Hockley approached them for Malloy’s re-election campaign.

Hockley is the Communications Director for Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit with the mission of reducing gun violence by education and community involvement. She told Hearst Media Monday that the ad is not exploitation. “It’s not exploiting what happened in Sandy Hook. It doesn’t exploit me.”

Patch could not reach Hockley Tuesday for her comments.

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Photo credit: YouTube/Malloy Campaign 2014