Dr. Dena Grayson’s campaign is standing by its first TV ad in the race for Florida’s Congressional District 9.
The ad, which was released this week, plays up Grayson’s medical background.
However, 9 Investigates discovered Grayson does not have a license to practice medicine.
The ad, which uses a voiceover by her husband, Congressman Alan Grayson, as well as featuring a picture of the Graysons together, opens with the phrase, “Meet Dr. Dena Grayson. She’s a doctor who has treated poor people for free.”
9 Investigates asked the Grayson campaign for clarification of this claim, since Dena Grayson does not hold a license to practice medicine.
“Dr. Dena Grayson started seeing patients in a free clinic in 1992, and continued treating patients for free for 9 years,” wrote campaign representative Shawn Shahzad in an email to 9 Investigates. “Ever since then, Dr. Grayson has continued her career in medicine by developing treatments and cures for patients, using her medical doctorate (M.D.), as well as her Ph.D. in biochemistry.”
While it is true that Dena Grayson has used her medical background to conduct medial research, the ad uses two clips of her physically treating patients, something she has not done in more than a decade.
“She portrays herself as a doctor by wearing the white coat and stethoscope and putting her hands on patients," says WFTV political analyst Dr. Rick Foglesong. "The ad also says that she has worked as a research scientist to develop drugs to combat cancer. That is true, and I would argue is much more impressive."
The ad is also at the center of a complaint with the Federal Election Commission.
Susanna Randolph, who is also running for the Democratic nomination in CD-9, filed the complaint this week, alleging the new ad by Dena Grayson lacks proper disclosure for the use of Alan Grayson.
Dena Grayson’s campaign downplayed the FEC complaint calling it a smear and writing, “Candidates run endorsements ads with the voices and pictures of elected officials all of the time.”
Dena Grayson, who married Congressman Alan Grayson in May, is running in his current congressional district which encompasses southeast Orange County and Osceola County.
Alan Grayson is not seeking reelection in CD-9 since he is running for the U.S. Senate.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/V5TWF6CJAZFXBLDTZXOE47OMN4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3YCVNDETDZDUXDFCR4XHCGXBCU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XN34TOOWJ5EFLFYLQONF763OCA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/D2DVXVPXTRASLGSZXEHYQHQ74A.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/UA57OGRK5TGEW2GYW4XEGHIF5E.jpg)