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KOCO 5 Truth Test: Looking into ad claiming Rep. Tom Cole is 'bipartisan besties' with Adam Schiff

The political attack ads keep coming in this month's Republican primary between Congressman Tom Cole and his challenger Paul Bondar

KOCO 5 Truth Test: Looking into ad claiming Rep. Tom Cole is 'bipartisan besties' with Adam Schiff

The political attack ads keep coming in this month's Republican primary between Congressman Tom Cole and his challenger Paul Bondar

THE ROAD IS BACK OPEN TONIGHT. THE POLITICAL ATTACK ADS KEEP ON COMING IN THIS MONTH’S REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BETWEEN CONGRESSMAN TOM COLE AND HIS CHALLENGER, PAUL BONDAR. WE’VE ALREADY ADDRESSED PREVIOUS CLAIMS REGARDING PAUL BONDAR, HIS COMPLICATED RESIDENCY WHERE HE LIVES, AND ALSO TOM COLE’S VOTES ON RECENT SPENDING BILLS AND UKRAINE. BUT WHAT ABOUT CLAIMS THAT COLE IS BIPARTISAN BESTIES WITH DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF? EVAN, YOU HAVE THE NEW TRUTH TEST. WHAT DOES CONGRESSMAN TOM COLE THINK OF CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF? ROMANTIC MUSIC AND PINK HEARTS ADORNED THIS AD FROM CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PAUL BONDAR. I ADMIRE ADAM, HE’S A GREAT MEMBER OF THE HOUSE, TYING OKLAHOMA’S LONGTIME REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TOM COLE TO ONE OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MOST VOCAL CRITICS. CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT ADAM SCHIFF, TOM COLE, LOVES ADAM SCHIFF SO MUCH, HE WAS AMONG A HANDFUL OF REPUBLICANS TO VOTE AGAINST CENSURING SCHIFF FOR LYING ABOUT RUSSIAN COLLUSION. AND PRESIDENT TRUMP. BUT WHAT’S THE TRUTH HERE? TOM COLE TOLD ME NOT MUCH WHEN I SAT DOWN WITH HIM RECENTLY IN THE KOCO STUDIOS. I VOTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO CENSURE ADAM SCHIFF, THE ONE OCCASION HE MENTIONS THE CENSURE WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT INCLUDED A 90 SOME ODD MILLION DOLLAR FINE. THE AUTHOR OF THAT DROPPED THAT, AND WE VOTED FOR THE MEASURE TO CENSURE. WE CHECK THAT OUT AND SURE ENOUGH, WE FOUND TWO INSTANCES WHERE COLE VOTED TO CENSURE SCHIFF. THIS WAS HIS VOTE IN OCTOBER OF 2019, WHERE REPUBLICANS TRIED AND FAILED TO CENSURE SCHIFF IN A HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT WAS AT THAT TIME CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS. EVERY REPUBLICAN, INCLUDING CONGRESSMAN COLE, VOTED TO CONTINUE TO CENSURE. AND THE MORE RECENT CENSURE VOTE HAPPENED LAST YEAR, IN JUNE OF 2023. THIS TIME, REPUBLICANS CONTROLLED THE HOUSE, AND THE VOTE TO CENSURE SCHIFF WAS SUCCESSFUL, WITH COLE VOTING WITH HIS GOP COLLEAGUES. I’M ON THE RECORD. I VOTED TO CENSURE HIM THE FIRST TIME IN 2019, AGAIN IN LAST YEAR. SO WE GOT MULTIPLE VOTES ON THAT. I ADMIRE ADAM, HE’S A GREAT MEMBER OF THE HOUSE. BUT IF YOU’RE CURIOUS WHERE THIS CAME FROM, WELL, WE FOUND THAT TO A 2013 INTERVIEW ON CNBC WHERE COLE AND SCHIFF WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT SOME STRONG DISAGREEMENTS OVER SPENDING AND THE FISCAL CLIFF COLE TELLING THE CAMERAS HIS PARTY AND DEMOCRATS WERE FAR, FAR APART. IT’S JUST LUDICROUS. AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, AND WE DO WORK TOGETHER WELL, I ADMIRE ADAM. HE’S A GREAT MEMBER OF THE HOUSE. BUT LOOK, THE TRILLION DOLLARS IN CUTS, HE’S TALKING ABOUT WERE FROM THE LAST DEBT CEILING DEAL. IT’S THE ONLY WAY WE GOT THEM. AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COUNT THEM TWICE. THERE IS SOME TRUTH TO THE FACT THAT CONGRESSMAN TOM COLE AND ADAM SCHIFF HAD SAID SOME NICE THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER IN THE PAST, BUT THIS AD FROM PAUL BOEHNER CLEARLY WANTS TO MAKE VOTERS THINK THAT COLE SUPPORTED SCHIFF AND DID NOT VOTE TO CENSURE HIM. AND THAT I
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KOCO 5 Truth Test: Looking into ad claiming Rep. Tom Cole is 'bipartisan besties' with Adam Schiff

The political attack ads keep coming in this month's Republican primary between Congressman Tom Cole and his challenger Paul Bondar

The political attack ads keep coming in this month's Republican primary between Congressman Tom Cole and his challenger Paul Bondar.KOCO 5 has already addressed previous claims regarding Bondar's complicated residency and Cole's votes on a recent spending bill and Ukraine, but what about claims that Cole is "bipartisan besties" with Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff? Romantic music and pink hearts adorn Bondar's latest ad tying Oklahoma's longtime Republican congressman to one of Donald Trump's most vocal critics – Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California.But what's the real truth? Cole told KOCO 5 in a recent sit-down interview that "not much" was true."I've voted multiple times to censure Adam Schiff," Cole said. "The one occasion he mentions, the censure was unconstitutional because it included a $90-some million fine. The author dropped that, and we voted on the measure to censure." KOCO 5 checked that out, and, sure enough, we found two instances where Cole voted to censure Schiff.One was in October of 2019 when Republicans tried and failed to censure Schiff in a House of Representatives that was, at that time, controlled by Democrats. Every Republican, including Cole, voted to censure.The more recent censure vote was in June of 2023. This time, Republicans controlled the House and the vote to censure Schiff was successful, with Cole voting with his GOP colleagues."I'm on the record. I voted to censure him the first time in 2019 and again last year. So, we have multiple votes on that," Cole said.Bondar's ad almost shows when Cole saying that he admired Schiff and that he's a "great member of the House."That video came from a 2013 CNBC interview where Cole and Schiff were interviewed about some strong disagreements over spending and the fiscal cliff. Cole said during the interview that his party and Democrats were far, far apart."It's just ludicrous. And with all due respect, and we do work well together, I admire Adam. He's a great member of the House. But, look, the trillion dollars he's talking about are from the last debt ceiling deal. That's the only way we got them, and we are not going to be able to count them twice," Cole said in 2013.There is some truth to the fact that Cole and Schiff have said nice things about each other in the past, but the ad from Bondar clearly wants to make voters think that Cole supported Schiff and did not vote to censure him. That, however, is false.Top HeadlinesRed Lobster closings: These are the locations it wants to shut downTallest building in U.S. on track in OKC after council voteTIMELINE: Low risk of severe weather as storms return to Oklahoma this weekendSemitrailer crash causes major traffic backup on I-44 in southwest OKCRossen Reports: More than 500k vehicles just got recalled, check here if your car is on the listDriver arrested after leading law enforcement on chase in stolen car in southwest OKC

The political attack ads keep coming in this month's Republican primary between Congressman Tom Cole and his challenger Paul Bondar.

KOCO 5 has already addressed previous claims regarding Bondar's complicated residency and Cole's votes on a recent spending bill and Ukraine, but what about claims that Cole is "bipartisan besties" with Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff?

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Romantic music and pink hearts adorn Bondar's latest ad tying Oklahoma's longtime Republican congressman to one of Donald Trump's most vocal critics – Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California.

But what's the real truth? Cole told KOCO 5 in a recent sit-down interview that "not much" was true.

"I've voted multiple times to censure Adam Schiff," Cole said. "The one occasion he mentions, the censure was unconstitutional because it included a $90-some million fine. The author dropped that, and we voted on the measure to censure."

KOCO 5 checked that out, and, sure enough, we found two instances where Cole voted to censure Schiff.

One was in October of 2019 when Republicans tried and failed to censure Schiff in a House of Representatives that was, at that time, controlled by Democrats. Every Republican, including Cole, voted to censure.

The more recent censure vote was in June of 2023. This time, Republicans controlled the House and the vote to censure Schiff was successful, with Cole voting with his GOP colleagues.

"I'm on the record. I voted to censure him the first time in 2019 and again last year. So, we have multiple votes on that," Cole said.

Bondar's ad almost shows when Cole saying that he admired Schiff and that he's a "great member of the House."

That video came from a 2013 CNBC interview where Cole and Schiff were interviewed about some strong disagreements over spending and the fiscal cliff. Cole said during the interview that his party and Democrats were far, far apart.

"It's just ludicrous. And with all due respect, and we do work well together, I admire Adam. He's a great member of the House. But, look, the trillion dollars he's talking about are from the last debt ceiling deal. That's the only way we got them, and we are not going to be able to count them twice," Cole said in 2013.

There is some truth to the fact that Cole and Schiff have said nice things about each other in the past, but the ad from Bondar clearly wants to make voters think that Cole supported Schiff and did not vote to censure him. That, however, is false.


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