GOP super PAC seeks to tie Ossoff to Kathy Griffin

A GOP super PAC is seeking to link Georgia Democratic House candidate Jon Ossoff to comedian Kathy Griffin, who tweeted her support for him over the weekend.

Griffin has now drawn scorn from Republicans and Democrats alike for posing in a photo with a bloody, decapitated fake head resembling President Trump. Griffin apologized for taking part in the image and lost a job hosing CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage as a result. 

The comedian appears to have a minimal link to Ossoff, but the conservative Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) is using the fury over the photo to slam the Democratic candidate in a new ad released Thursday.

“Liberal extremists have gone too far,” the CLF ad narrator says. “Now a celebrity Jon Ossoff supporter is making jokes about beheading the president of the United States.”

“These angry liberals will go to any extreme to elect Jon Ossoff,” it continues.

{mosads}Sacha Haworth, a spokeswoman for the Ossoff campaign, called on Handel to demand the ad be pulled from air, citing images that could disturb children who are watching television. 

“Jon Ossoff believes what Kathy Griffin did was despicable and for Karen Handel’s super PAC to say otherwise is a disgrace. Karen Handel should immediately demand this ad be pulled before any more children have to see these disturbing images on TV,” Sacha Haworth said in a statement, referring to Ossoff’s GOP opponent in the June 20 special election.

Griffin had urged voters in Georgia’s 6th District to vote for Ossoff on Twitter in March.

Yes! U can make a diff NOW! #Georgia #Vote #Resist @IndivisibleTeam @Indivisible_GA @IndivisibleGA06 #hope #Monday https://t.co/CvYCtiynBW

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) March 27, 2017

Griffin has not donated to Ossoff’s campaign, according to the most recent FEC records available.

The ad is part of the CLF’s $6.5 million PR campaign against Ossoff. The GOP PAC has supported Handel.

Republican groups also went after Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) for keeping his plans to make a joint appearance at an event with Griffin next month, saying she apologized and he believes in forgiveness.  

Both parties have poured millions into the Georgia runoff election to succeed former Rep. Tom Price (R), who is now Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary. 

– Updated: Friday, 12:24 p.m.