LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Lansing-area pollster Steve Mitchell is speaking out against what he says are “libelous, false, unfounded, and scurrilous charges” lobbed at his business by people he says are associated with the campaign of GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Rinke.

Mitchell, President of Mitchell Research & Communications, Inc. told Michigan News Source on Monday, “I wanted to clarify that I am not involved in Tudor Dixon’s campaign in any manner. Wherever that information came from, I wanted to clarify I have never been paid consultant, nor received any money from her campaign. I am a neutral bystander.”

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In addition, Mitchell sent out a press release saying, “I am not, nor have I been, a consultant to the Tudor Dixon Campaign. Neither I, nor my company, have not received one nickel from the Dixon campaign, from any organizations associated with the Dixon campaign, or from any individuals associated with the Dixon campaign. I have not received any money from any people associated with, or organizations associated with, the Dixon campaign for doing work unrelated to this that could disguise a payment to Mitchell Research from the Dixon campaign, individuals associated with the Dixon campaign, or organizations associated with the Dixon campaign, or the Dixon campaign.”

Mitchell’s comments come after accusations in what appears to be an op-ed  by Gateway Pundit which called a recent Mitchell poll “unreliable” and called Mitchell “one of Dixon’s consultants.” The poll showed Dixon with an 11-point lead over her competitors.

 

 

The Dixon and Rinke campaigns have gone back and forth in recent days, with frontrunner Dixon issuing a cease-and desist letter to Rinke, demanding he take down an ad accusing her of taking millions from opponents of former President Donald Trump.

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Dixon’s campaign said now they are letting the letter “speak for itself.”

“Failing campaigns are lashing out as Tudor Dixon continues to unify the Republican Party and build momentum going into Election Day,” said a representative of her campaign. “Trying to smear Tudor with lies will only backfire, but it does show the true colors of those desperate candidates.”

Kevin Rinke’s campaign responded to Michigan News Source’s request for an interview regarding the cease-and-desist letter, saying, “Tudor Dixon is being exposed for trying to deceive President Trump all while being bankrolled by the folks who tried to remove him from the White House. The ad exposes the truth, and clearly, the truth is hurting the Dixon operation.”

Michigan’s primary election is August 2.