FactCheck.org Disputes Democrats' Attack Ad on MacArthur

Factcheck.org has determined that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee misled viewers in its portrayal of Third Congressional District candidate Tom MacArthur, saying he cheated disaster victims.

The advertisement accused MacArthur of cheating disaster victims. Although the organization determined that the narrator of the advertisement was correct in saying, “MacArthur ran an insurance company accused of cheating hurricane and wildfire victims.”

The graphic that accompanies the advertisement reads “Tom MacArthur ‘Accused Of Cheating Disaster Victims,” which Factcheck.org deemed to be incorrect.

MacArthur and Democrat Aimee Belgard, who is not mentioned in the video, are running for the Third Congressional District seat.

The Third Congressional District is made up of 28 towns in Burlington County, including Moorestown and Cinnaminson, and 23 towns in Ocean County.

The seat was left vacant when Jon Runyan decided not to run for re-election.

MacArthur was the chairman and CEO of York Risk Services Group Inc. from 1999 to 2010. The ad describes MacArthur as an “insurance CEO.”

However, York is really a claims and risk management company that provides services, such as claims processing, for insurers and other companies.

York, as a claims processing agent, was the subject of two lawsuits and a state complaint related to its handling of insurance claims by victims of Hurricane Ike and the Sayre Fire in Sylmar, California, in 2008.

MacArthur was not named directly in any legal actions, but he was an officer and major shareholder with the company. The suits were settled after MacArthur left the company.

Factcheck.org said the advertisement engages in a pattern of deception known as “seeing what’s not heard.”

On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it would take the advertisement off the air, according to savejersey.com.

Belgard, isn’t mentioned in the advertisement, but she defended the advertisement in an interview with Philly.com on Friday, saying “it raises valid concerns about Tom MacArthur’s past as a CEO of York insurance,”

“In response to our complaints to Comcast’s legal department and harsh criticism from non-partisan FactCheck.org, which characterized their ad as a ‘pattern of deception,’ the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) was forced to stop running their false and defamatory attack ad against Tom MacArthur today,” MacArthur said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “Perennial politician Aimee Belgard should be ashamed for standing behind and parroting the DCCC’s deceptive and dishonest ad, and should publicly apologize to Tom MacArthur for doing so.”

The advertisement also claims “while people suffered, MacArthur walked away with $39 million.”

However, it is referring to an agreement Odyssey Investment Partners LLC made to purchase York for around $105 million.

MacArthur sold his portion of the company for $39 million in May of 2006, meaning he received the money before the lawsuits occurred.

Finally, the advertisement claims “MacArthur wants to help insurance companies jack up rates and deny people coverage” if elected to Congress, leading viewers to believe he is helping property or casualty insurance companies.

Factcheck.org determined the advertisement is actually referring to a Courier-Post article about MacArthur’s opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which has nothing to do with property or casualty insurance.