DCCC releases ads hitting Nunes over alleged meeting with former Ukrainian official

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Tuesday unveiled an ad campaign against Rep. Devin NunesDevin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: Protests against George Floyd’s death, police brutality rock the nation for a second week Sunday shows preview: Leaders weigh in as country erupts in protest over George Floyd death The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – George Floyd’s death sparks protests, National Guard activation MORE (R-Calif.) over allegations he met with a former Ukrainian official to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE.

“When Rep. Devin Nunes isn’t palling around with the soon-to-be criminally indicted, he’s traveling to Europe trying to pressure foreign governments to dig up dirt on President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s political rivals while wasting thousands in taxpayer funds,” DCCC spokesman Andy Orellana said in a statement.

“It’s become abundantly clear that Nunes is doing the absolute most to make himself more and more vulnerable while he ignores the hardworking folks of the Central Valley in order to do Trump’s political bidding,” he added.

The DCCC is spending under $100 on the new ads, according to Facebook’s ad archive.

The group specifically cited new reporting that Nunes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, met with former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin in December to discuss Biden, one of Trump’s chief political rival.

The California Republican played a starring role in the House’s impeachment inquiry, defending Trump from allegations that he tied $400 million in military aid and a White House visit for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Kyiv launching an investigation into the former vice president on unfounded corruption charges.

The ads started running Tuesday and will appear on Facebook across California’s 22nd Congressional District.

“Devin Nunes thinks YOU ALL are a bunch of turkeys. While Nunes was stuffing his pockets with $57,000 in taxpayer dollars, he was jetting off to Europe to do Trump’s political dirty work at the expense of Central Valley families,” one ad reads, referencing the price tag of Nunes’s trip to Vienna to meet with Shokin.

Nunes now could face a congressional review of whether he violated House ethics rules by allegedly meeting with Shokin on a taxpayer-funded trip after an outside group filed a complaint against him with the independent Office of Congressional Ethics.

Multiple Democrats are running against Nunes next year as the party seeks to unseat him in his rural district, though a victory there remains a long shot for the Republicans’ competitors.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates Nunes’s seat as “Likely Republican.”