Washington, D.C. – What might sound like a riddle is simply another day in the Arizona Senate race. In this case, a new report reveals how Mark Kelly flies himself across Arizona in a rented plane. It is not so much Mark Kelly’s flight log that raises eyebrows, it’s the plane itself.
Mark Kelly rents a plane through Tucson-based Newton Consulting & Engineering, Inc (NCE), a defense contractor that needs approval from Mark Kelly’s Senate Armed Services Committee to potentially win more Pentagon contracts. But NCE does not own this plane; they serve as a third party for the plane’s owner to lease it out to other pilots.
According to this report, Mark Kelly is flying across Arizona visiting constituents in a plane owned by Dr. Sheldon Gingerich, an alleged felon facing “31 counts of unlawful distributions of controlled substances” for writing “sham prescriptions for oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and fentanyl.”
A “wacky” story, indeed.
Statement from NRSC Spokeswoman Katharine Cooksey: “Of all of the planes to rent in Arizona, it is unsurprising that Mark Kelly chose to rent a plane that blurs ethical lines and links him to a doctor that allegedly has fueled the opioid epidemic. Kelly’s entire political career is marked by shameless corruption – first with the Chinese Communist Party and Harvey Weinstein, and now with alleged felons and defense contractors he oversees. Mark Kelly’s shady ties are exactly what happens when you prioritize D.C. special interest groups over delivering for Arizonans.”
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