Editor’s Note: Inaccurate Attribution to JP News in State Rep. Candidate’s Campaign Literature

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A campaign flyer from a local state rep candidate incorrectly attributes a false statement about his opponent to Jamaica Plain News.

Jamaica Plain News and some other areas residents received an emailed flyer Aug. 21 from the campaign of Ture Turnbull, who is running against state Rep. Liz Malia in the 11th Suffolk District state representative Democratic Primary Sept. 4. The same flyer was mailed to some homes prior to Aug. 21.

The campaign literature inaccurately attributed to Jamaica Plain News the claim that Malia "played a leading role in stripping language from the budget that would have stopped MA from coordinating with ICE agents." The statement was attributed to the site's editor in an article published July 20. No article mentioning Malia was published that day.

When questioned via email, Turnbull told Jamaica Plain News his campaign was not trying to quote the site directly, but point to the July 31 article, "Malia, Like JP Rep. Sanchez, Couldn't Force Public Vote on Immigration Protections." In that article, Malia told Jamaica Plain News that she supported the inclusion of immigration protections in the state budget and was not pleased they were removed.

Jamaica Plain News informed Turnbull the statement on his campaign literature was not an accurate summation of the article. Turnbull told Jamaica Plain News he would remove all mention of the website in his mailers and anything coming from his campaign. Via email, he showed Jamaica Plain News an updated campaign flyer with the same statement but without attribution to Jamaica Plain News.

On Aug. 31, Jamaica Plain News received campaign literature at its doorstep that included the original false statement attributed to the website. Other Jamaica Plain residences also received the original campaign flyer.

Jamaica Plain News asked Turnbull via email why the original campaign literature was still being distributed. He said it was in reference to the July 31 article, adding, "I apologize for the summarization of the article and have removed it from my webpage." He did not comment on why the original campaign literature was still being distributed.

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