NEW: Paul Junge “used foreign stock footage for ads about protecting American jobs”

New reporting from Heartland Signal exposes Michigan Republican Paul Junge's latest bout of hypocrisy: running "political ads that advocate for… domestic manufacturing" using "several foreign stock images."

In the same ad that he attempts to label his opponent as "un-American," Junge utilized multiple foreign stock images… originating from people in… Thailand, Indonesia and Canada."

Refusing to stick to Michigan is nothing new to Junge, given that "he lived and worked in numerous states and districts since the 1980s," only coming back to Michigan to attempt two failed runs for Congress on his parents' dime.

Heartland Signal: GOP congressional candidate used foreign stock footage for ads about protecting American jobs
Richard Eberwein | September 4, 2024

• Businessman and lawyer Paul Junge, who is the Republican seeking Michigan's 8th Congressional District seat, has used several foreign stock images and clips in political ads that advocate for preserving American jobs and domestic manufacturing.

• Last week, Junge released an ad titled "Raw Deal," which labels his Democratic opponent Kristen McDonald Rivet's record as "un-American" and "unforgivable."

• Despite the claims against the state senator, Junge utilized multiple foreign stock images in the ad originating from Shutterstock users in Thailand, Indonesia and Canada. Junge also accused Rivet of "importing radical policies," with an image of Rivet in front of a shipping port in Long Beach, Calif.

• In a different ad released in May titled "Flint," Junge's campaign used images of a flint, a gas stove and a welder that originate from users based in Thailand, Russia and Serbia, respectively.

• The Junge campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• In his third consecutive candidacy, Junge is seeking the seat currently held by Rep. Dan Kildee (D), who did not seek reelection this cycle. According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, Junge was born in Michigan but raised in California. And according to his old LinkedIn page, he lived and worked in numerous states and districts since the 1980s.

• Rivet was elected to the Michigan state Senate in 2022 after she defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Annette Glenn.