Oz blasts Pennsylvania Dem Senate nominee Fetterman for having two men convicted of murder on campaign payroll

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Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman hired two convicted murderers to work for his campaign, and his Republican opponent in the state's November election, Mehmet Oz, claims it shows he is soft on crime. 

Dennis and Lee Horton, two brothers who were convicted of murder in 1994 and serving life sentences in a Pennsylvania prison before being pardoned by the state in 2021, were hired by Fetterman's campaign as field organizers, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Fetterman campaign's filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show the brothers have been receiving payments from the Fetterman campaign since late last year.

Since being hired, filings showed the two brothers have been paid nearly $50,000 from the Fetterman campaign. The first two payments to the brothers, which were made on Dec. 15, 2021, totaled $1,908.51. The most recent payments to the brothers, made on June 30 of this year, totaled $3,341.18.

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The two brothers were also issued two reimbursements from the campaign totaling a little more than $720.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate for Senate, addresses supporters during a rally on Aug. 12, 2022 in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Dustin Franz/AFP via Getty Images)

Oz's campaign has called on Fetterman's campaign to fire the Horton brothers, claiming Fetterman "consistently puts murderers and other criminals ahead" of Pennsylvania voters, Brittany Yanick, communications director for Doctor Oz for Senate, said in a statement. 

"John Fetterman’s even trying to hide his record from voters by running TV ads saying he’s tough on crime. His positions – including releasing one-third of inmates onto our streets – says otherwise as does the fact that he hired two convicted murderers on his campaign. If John Fetterman cared about Pennsylvania’s crime problem, he’d prove it by firing the convicted murderers he employs on his campaign," Yanick said.

Fetterman, however, stood by the Hortons' role on the campaign in a statement Thursday evening.

"This smear is a sad and desperate attack from Dr. Oz’s shambolic campaign. Going after two campaign staffers is a new low for Dr. Oz. Dennis and Lee, who were wrongfully convicted, are two of the kindest, hardest working people I know – fighting for their release was one of the proudest moments of my career and I'm honored to have them on this team," said Fetterman. 

"Does Dr. Oz believe that the wrongfully convicted should die in prison? Does this man have any compassion? He’s making a predictable and fear mongering attack against two men who spent 27 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit," he added.

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Senate nominee John Fetterman hired two convicted murderers to work for his campaign. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

According to the Horton brothers, in May 1993 they found themselves in trouble with the law after they picked up a friend who had committed a robbery and murder of a man at a Hunting Park bar and were pulled over by police following the incident. Despite the brothers' claims that they knew nothing about the crimes that took place, both of them, as well as their friend, were arrested by police.

Accused of the murder and robbery of 37-year-old Samuel Alamo at that bar, the Horton brothers both faced serious charges. Both brothers, according to court documents, were charged with one count of murder, three counts of robbery, one count of aggravated assault, one count of criminal conspiracy, and one count of possessing instruments of a crime.

On Nov. 16, 1994, the Horton brothers were both found guilty of all charges and sentenced to life in prison.

In 2021, after having maintained their innocence throughout their time in prison, the brothers were released due to a pardon that Fetterman, who currently serves as Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor and a member of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, had long fought for.

After a request for clemency for the brothers was denied in December 2019, Fetterman filed a motion in August 2020 for the reconsideration of a public hearing for the two of them. In September 2020, the pardon board voted to hold the Horton brothers' request for clemency under advisement in a 5-0 vote. Later that year, in December, the board voted 4-0 to recommend a pardon.

In February 2021, Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf signed off on the pardon for the brothers and they were released shortly after.

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Throughout his tenure as the state's lieutenant governor, Fetterman has advocated for the release of several incarcerated individuals, including the Horton brothers.

Fetterman, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, also threatened to run against Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary in the state unless he voted in favor of granting clemency.

Fetterman reportedly threatened to run against Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary in the state unless he voted in favor of clemency for those Fetterman advocated for. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for SEIU)

"When we got denied... he turned to my family, my sister, and said, 'Look, I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure these men get returned to their families, because that's where they should be,'" Dennis Horton told a crowd of Fetterman's supporters in April, according to the Inquirer.

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At the time of their release, the Horton brothers had spent nearly 30 years behind bars.

"John Fetterman has a long record of being soft on crime, which he constantly tries to hide from voters and the press," NRSC spokeswoman Lizzie Litzow said in a statement. "He wants to release one-third of inmates onto Pennsylvania’s streets and now has two convicted murderers working on his campaign. He needs to start putting Pennsylvania communities ahead of murderers and other criminals and can start by firing the two convicted murderers he’s employed."