Fact Check

Did Paul Gosar's Siblings Appear in a Political Ad Endorsing His Opponent?

We've all heard of sibling rivalry, but politics can take that phenomenon to a whole different level.

Published Sept. 24, 2018

Claim:
Six of Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar's siblings appeared in a political commercial endorsing his opponent, David Brill.

On 21 September 2018, Dr. David Brill (an MD) released a campaign advertisement that took aim at Republican Dr. Paul Gosar (a dentist), the incumbent Republican representative whom Brill was challenging for a U.S. House seat representing Arizona's 4th congressional district.

The advertisement, titled "Paul Gosar Is Not Working for You," featured comments from several people -- identified by their first names and professions -- who were critical of Gosar's performance as a congressman, accusing him of failing his district on issues such as health care, jobs, social security, and the environment.

All in all, the spot seemed like a fairly tame negative political campaign ad by modern standards, save for a catch revealed at the commercial's end -- all the people captured speaking out against Paul Gosar and endorsing his opponent were Gosar's siblings: Grace, David, Jennifer, Tim, Joan, and Gaston Gosar.