Missouri Veterans, Bipartisan Veteran Leaders, and Veteran Organizations Condemn Hawley For Disgraceful Defamation
Independence, MO — Today, a bipartisan group of Missouri veterans, veteran leaders, and veteran organizations released statements condemning Josh Hawley for lying about the military service record of his opponent, Marine veteran Lt. Col. Lucas Kunce (13 years active duty, now Reserve). Both Senator Josh Hawley himself and his campaign have been pushing an outrageous lie, accusing Kunce of “stolen valor” (a federal crime) regarding his training with Border Patrol and certification by the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) before he deployed to lead a police training team in Iraq. KMOV conducted a fact check on Kunce’s record and Hawley’s lie, resulting in direct confirmation by a Border Patrol spokesperson of the legitimacy of Kunce’s training and certification by BORTAC.
See their quotes below:
Republican, former Congressman, and Air Force Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan Adam Kinzinger: “Josh Hawley has spent six years voting against Republican-backed bills to secure our border, making the fact that he’d lie about the service of a Marine veteran like Lucas Kunce—who has actually trained with border patrol—as absurd as it is obscene. Hawley’s act is tired and shameless which was again on full display when he lied to reporters about his vote to stall the PACT Act while literally standing next to Lucas, who was exposed to burn pits in Iraq. When it comes to securing our border or supporting our veterans, there is simply no worse Republican Senator than Josh Hawley.”
Democrat, former Missouri Secretary of State, and Army National Guard Veteran of Afghanistan Jason Kander: “During the War on Terror, our country asked a lot of the men and women in my generation who chose to serve. When Lucas Kunce felt the call, he joined the Marine Corps, trained with Border Patrol, and then led a police training team on dozens of missions in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. Josh has never felt the call to serve anyone but himself. It’s why he can’t work with anyone to get anything done, and it’s why the only thing he can think to do while running against a veteran like Lucas is to lie about his service. Josh popped popcorn while he watched others serve in Iraq on TV — he should go back to popping popcorn so real public servants can do the job.”
Travis Tazelaar, Marine Corps Veteran and Political Director for VoteVets: “At the same time Lucas Kunce was training with border patrol and then leading a police training team on missions outside the wire in Iraq, Josh Hawley was working as a corporate attorney at an elite global lobbying shop. It’s just plain disgusting to see a country club politician like Josh Hawley spreading lies about the service of a Marine veteran like Lucas Kunce. After six years of betraying veterans on everything from stalling the PACT Act to filibustering funds for military housing at Fort Leonard Wood, Hawley hasn’t earned another six years in the Senate. Unlike Josh Hawley, Lucas Kunce is ready to serve.”
Naveed Shah, Army Veteran and Political Director of Common Defense: “Josh Hawley has demonstrated again and again that he lacks integrity. Whether it’s voting against funding for military housing, stalling the bi-partisan PACT Act for political reasons, or calling into question a Marine’s honorable service, Josh Hawley is a sniveling coward, just like he was on January 6th when he ran away from the mob he incited. Unlike Josh, Lucas Kunce leads from the front, and Missourians can count him to deliver for their state, and the country can count him on to defend our democracy.”
The below statement was released by a group of Missouri veterans, including Adam Conley (Army), Bill Skaggs (Air Force), BJ Ware (Navy), Daniel Tracy (Marine Corps), Dave Meinell (Army), Jack Bainbridge (Army), James Brown (Marine Corps, Army), Justin Aldred (Army, Missouri National Guard), Lance Rider (Marine Corps), Mary Farley (Marine Corps), Mike Johnson (Army), Mike Weber (Marine Corps), Tracy Gardner (Navy): “Missouri veterans and military families are tired of being mistreated, insulted, and lied to by Josh Hawley. After lying to us about his votes to stall the PACT Act and to block funding for military housing at Fort Leonard Wood, Hawley now thinks he can get away with lying about Lucas Kunce’s service. It’s shameful. Hawley’s never worn a uniform, and if you just look at his empty list of accomplishments as our Senator, it shows. Missourians don’t have a single veteran who represents us in Congress, and it’s time for that to change. Our options for Senate in November are clear: Josh Hawley is a liar and Lucas Kunce is a Marine.”