A Maine resident alleged Thursday that she was tricked into appearing in an advertisement supporting Democratic Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson.
Laundromat owner Kelly Kusnirak said a videographer interviewed her for what she thought would be part of an advertisement supporting Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, according to footage posted by The Maine Wire. The footage later aired in an ad paid for by the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy (CFFE) in support of Jackson, even though she never agreed to appear in an ad supporting the Maine Democrat.
“I am not a Troy Jackson supporter at all,” Kusnirak said. “I definitely feel like I was misled because when I did finally see the ad, I was like oh wow, look at that banner, Troy Jackson. I was surprised to see that it was Troy Jackson. Totally did not expect that. I thought it was going to be for Susan Collins. If they’re willing to mislead me, how far will they go? And you know, when will it end?”
Kusnirak alleged that a videographer approached her at her laundromat in March or April and identified himself as someone shooting for Collins’ campaign. At the time, Jackson had not replaced former Democratic Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner, who dropped out in July after a woman accused him of rape.
The ad showed Kusnirak stating that “nothing is affordable in Maine” and that the state lacks good-paying jobs or wages, according to The Robinson Report. The ad ended with footage of Jackson and words that said, “Susan Collins is too expensive for Maine. VOTE TROY JACKSON FOR SENATE IN NOVEMBER.”
“As far as affordability in Maine, nothing is affordable in Maine,” Kusnirak said in the ad. “Rent is not affordable, buying a house is not affordable, but do our wages go up? Do we have good jobs in Maine? No.”
Kusnirak said she only found out about the ad when a friend saw it. She stated that Collins “always puts Maine first” and has done more for affordability than the state Legislature.
The CFFE PAC paid for the ad, which spent over $1.6 million in support of Jackson, according to The Political Group. CFFE did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
“I said yes because I support Susan,” Kusnirak continued. “I had no idea that months later my face and my words would show up in an ad for her opponent. I feel like I was duped.”
The CFFE is a left-wing organization focused on affordable programs for families, such as child care, paid leave and healthcare, according to its website. The CFFE PAC raised $24.6 million in the 2026 cycle, spent $14.9 million, with $8.9 million being spent on independent expenditures, according to The Political Group.
The PAC also supports Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Democratic Texas Senate nominee James Talarico, according to The Political Group.
Jackson led Collins by an average of 1.4 points as of Thursday, according to RealClearPolling.
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