Sixth Congressional District candidate Sean Casten today blasted Rep. Peter Roskam’s first campaign TV ad as “positively Trump-like in its deception and twisting of facts.”

The ad, which is running on cable TV systems in the district, trumpets deceptive claims that “Peter Roskam took on Republican leaders” and “puts people ahead of politics.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Casten called those assertions “laughable.”

“During the course of his time in Congress, Peter Roskam has voted with his party leaders 96 percent of the time,” Casten said. “The idea that Peter stands up to his party leadership is like claiming that black is white and day is night.”

Casten said the best example of Roskam’s allegiance to his party leadership was his lead role in authoring the Republican tax bill that passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump late last year.

“By including a cap on the deductibility of state and local taxes – including property taxes – Roskam did direct damage to thousands of homeowners across the Sixth District to further his party’s political agenda,” Casten said. “He put the interests of his party and President ahead of the pocketbooks of the people he’s supposed to represent.”

Casten also pointed to Roskam’s record of voting with President Trump 94 percent of the time since Trump took office 17 months ago.

“In this election, Peter is trying to recast himself as an independent thinker and actor,” Casten said. “But the mailings and TV ads can’t erase his voting record. For his entire career in Congress, he’s been nothing but a rubber-stamp.”