Dr. William Petit Blasts Political Ad Linking Him to Donald Trump’s ‘Attack on Women and Families’

CHESHIRE, CT — Dr. William Petit, the sole survivor of the 2007 Cheshire home invasion killings in which his wife and two daughters were murdered, blasted a political ad that links him to Donald Trump’s “attack on women and families.”

Petit is running as the Republican candidate for state representative for the 22nd District, which includes Plainville and parts of New Britain, against Democratic incumbent Elizabeth A. “Betty” Boukus.

The digital ad, which urged voters to “Stop Donald Trump and Republican William Petit’s attack on women and families,” was paid for by a union-based PAC called Labor United for Connecticut and is one of several digital ads targeting about a dozen state Republican House and Senate candidates they say haven’t criticized Donald Trump, according to the Hartford Courant.

UPDATE: Union Leader Resigns Amid Controversial Political Ad Linking William Petit to Donald Trump’s ‘Attack on Women and Families'

“Anyone familiar with me should be outraged,” Petit said during a press conference outside of his Plainville home on Wednesday morning.

Petit called the ad “reckless and incomprehensible” and called on the organizations and unions related to the PAC to apologize and denounce the ad.

The ad also drew the ire of Petit’s wife, Christine, who came across the ad while reading the Hartford Courant online and said she was “appalled” and “sickened” by it.

“I must have read it four times before I understood,” Christine Petit wrote in a post on Facebook on Wednesday morning. “They were talking about my husband. My husband, whose children and wife were attacked, and murdered. My husband, who then dedicated his life over the past nearly ten years to supporting and helping women and children through his work with The Petit Family Foundation and other organizations with the same mission.

“He has spent countless hours serving on boards and committees to the same end, such as Interval House CT's Men Against Domestic Violence board. He's received the Child Abuse Prevention Award from The Parent and Child Center at Bristol Hospital. He's poured millions of dollars into our communities to support programs that protect women and children from abuse, and that encourage women in the sciences. The very core of the values that the Pff Petit foundation supports are helping those affected by domestic violence, women in science and those affected by chronic illness.

"I am appalled. I am sickened. This is an example of why we have no good candidates in our national election right now. Don't you see? WHY would anyone want to get involved with this crap? Who wants to wake up and read lies about themselves?”

Boukus also condemned the ad.

"I am horrified by the tasteless and offensive attack ad against my opponent,” Boukus said in a statement via NBC Connecticut. “It was produced by a third party with no connection to my campaign, without my knowledge, and without the involvement of anyone associated with my campaign. I am asking those responsible to pull the ad and issue and apology to Dr. Petit and his family.”

However, Paul Filson, chairperson of Labor United, told the Hartford Courant that the group has no plans to remove the ad unless Petit condemns Trump. He also told the Courant that the ad wasn’t a personal attack on Petit and “if he took it that way, that's unintentional. Everybody feels horrible about what happened to him.”

Petit also said during Wednesday’s press conference that he has been in contact with attorneys regarding a possible libel lawsuit over the political ad.

Petit’s wife Jennifer Hawke-Petit and their children, Michaela, 11, and Hayley, 17, were killed in the 2007 home invasion. He met his wife Christine while she was volunteering at a Petit Family Foundation fundraising event in 2012.

The Petit Family Foundation was established in honor of Hawk-Petit and Michaela and Hayley and its funds are “given to foster the education of young people, especially women in the sciences; to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses; and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence.”

Visit the foundation’s website here.

Read more of the political reaction to the ad at the Hartford Courant here.

File photo