ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Today, the Huffington Post reported disparaging comments on 9/11 recently made by Republican Scott Baugh. Democratic congressional candidate Joanna Weiss released the following statement condemning Baugh’s comments:
“Scott Baugh’s statements are incredibly offensive and just plain wrong. I come from a family who knows the sacrifice our service members make to fight real wars, not ones constructed to deflect from their poor policies. I am the proud daughter, granddaughter, sister, and aunt of men who served or still serve in the Navy. My father served in the Vietnam War and my grandfather served in World War II,” said Joanna Weiss. “These comments are yet another example of Baugh’s Republican extremism and willingness to say anything to pander to the far-right members of his party. 9/11 was a tragic attack on our country that led to thousands dying here in the U.S. Millions of Americans have died in combat in the actual wars Baugh mentions. To insinuate that ‘woke-ism’, which Baugh does not even define, is worse than these staggering losses is an affront to those who died or had loved ones die in the 9/11 attacks and to our military veterans who have bravely fought for our country. Constituents of CA-47 deserve better than a representative who disrespects Americans who have died serving our country, their families, and our military veterans. These comments are just another example of how out-of-touch Scott Baugh is with Orange County values.”
Baugh, who narrowly lost to Katie Porter in 2022, will likely be the Republican candidate in the general election in the race for CA-47 next November. California’s 47th congressional district is one of the most closely watched races in the nation and will determine Democrats flipping the House in November.
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Joanna is a former litigator and Adjunct Professor at Chapman University School of Law where she taught courses on Pre-Trial Civil Procedure and Public Interest Lawyering. Joanna served on the Board of Directors of the Public Law Center for over a decade, winning multiple awards for her legal and community leadership.
As founder of Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE), Joanna has activated over 2,300 activists to donate over 50,000 volunteer hours, register over 10,000 students, and raise millions to support candidates and causes in Orange County, CA.
Born and raised in Orange County, Joanna attended Capistrano Valley High School and Saddleback College, graduated from UCLA, and received her JD from USC School of Law. Joanna and her husband Jason love to surf, hike, and volunteer with their children Leah, Will, and Audrey.
