Congressional candidate Ray McKinney issued the following statement:

Over the past two and a half weeks Republican Party activists in the 12th District, along with members of the media, have been receiving mailings containing negative personal details in regards to one of my Republican opponents. There are allegations circulating that my campaign is involved in this. I believe this is important enough that I need to personally address this issue.

At no time, not now, or ever, has anyone with my campaign had anything to do with this matter.  

Almost immediately after my opponent’s announcement of candidacy over six weeks ago, I began receiving emails and text messages concerning that candidate but chose to ignore them. When my campaign manager, Clint Murphy, came on board the following week, I directed him to contact the candidate’s campaign manager, to let her know we had received the emails, our prayers were with the candidate, and that we considered it an issue out of bounds. Furthermore, Murphy also contacted the candidate’s political consultant, and relayed the same message to him personally.  

However, some people have chosen this opportunity to politicize these unfortunate personal events by blaming the dissemination of negative information on my campaign.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Murphy specifically directed my staff to take a total hands-off approach to this issue, and I have been very pleased with his handling of the situation. In fact, one of my staff has received the packet and it has remained sealed and unopened.

Since starting this campaign, I have built support on the fact that I’m not a typical politician and that I got into this race because many people are frustrated, as am I, with politics as usual. These allegations are being used to undermine that message.  

I would also like to address the fact that I did authorize my campaign to put out a press release concerning my other Republican opponent on an issue concerning his residency and voter registration status, which I felt voters needed to be made aware. He responded, which was his right. Raising questions about who would be the best representative of the 12th District is a legitimate function of political debate.

However, personal issues, such as those being disseminated by anonymous sources, are, for me off limits, and I want to assure the voters of the 12th District that I have adhered to that principle.

I understand that unfounded allegations and accusations, such as those being directed at my campaign, are, unfortunately, part of politics. But I can ask those of you who hear these accusations realize them for what they are, a concerted effort meant to draw focus away from the issues and who would be the best Republican candidate to represent the 12th District.