California GOP US Senate primary: Fiorina aide accuse of calling Tom Campbell anti-semitic

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WASHINGTON — The increasingly bitter and bizarre Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in California took another odd turn Thursday after a top adviser to Carly Fiorina was accused of calling rival Tom Campbell an anti-Semite.

The alleged remark by Fiorina's campaign manager, longtime Sacramento political operative Marty Wilson, was said to have been made during a telephone call several weeks ago with Bruce McPherson, a former California secretary of state and Republican lawmaker from Santa Cruz. McPherson called Wilson to inform him that he had decided to support Campbell rather than Fiorina, McPherson's preferred candidate before Campbell jumped into the race last month.

"Why would you do that?" Wilson responded, according to McPherson. "He's an anti-Semite."

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Wilson adamantly denied the remark, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14471989