MacArthur camp: emails prove Kim lying about NJTV spot

Citing emails, Rep. Tom MacArthur’s campaign on Wednesday challenged rival Andy Kim’s claim that appearances the two will make on an NJTV program next week were always meant to be independent of one another.

MacArthur’s campaign cited two emails from NJTV, sent on Feb. 13 and May 16. The former email said Kim had agreed to do a segment with MacArthur and was aiming to get it taped on March 2. That date was scratched, and the campaigns agreed to individual appearances.

In the later email, NJTV personnel – it’s not clear who – asked the two to sit for a discussion moderated by NJTV’s Michael Aron. MacArthur’s camp responded in the affirmative, while Kim’s campaign did not.

“Andy Kim lied to cheat on his property taxes; lied about his resume; lied about embracing ‘Medicare for All’ legislation; and lied about his position on tax reform – now he is lying again to hide the fact that he simply refuses to appear jointly with Congressman MacArthur for an interview with Michael Aron,” said MacArthur strategist Chris Russell. “And we have the emails to prove it.”

The Globe has not reviewed the emails, and Russell did not respond to a request seeking to obtain the emails sent at 11:29 a.m.

Kim, who last week said he’d welcome a debate with MacArthur “anytime, anywhere,” held that line, flipping MacArthur’s attack into one of his own.

“Andy welcomes debates, which this was never intended to be,” said Kim campaign manager Zack Carroll. “MacArthur is desperate for a decent headline and this story comes two weeks after Tom MacArthur rejected a constituent’s invitation to join Andy at a town hall in order to hide his record of raising premiums and slashing health care coverage from 23 million Americans, which explains why his poll numbers are in the tank.”