A Senate candidate will engage in a hunger strike in protest of attacks on him financed by his own party.
Bowen Kou, who this weekend filed a lawsuit against the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (FRSCC), said he will go 24 hours without food and water outside the Lake County Courthouse. Supporters, including teen volunteers, joined Kou. But the candidate said he does not expect everyone to deprive themselves during the protest.
The Windermere Republican embarked on the demonstration after the FRSCC sent out negative fliers. The campaign mailers itemized the number of Chinese American donors Bou reported for his Senate District 13 campaign. Donations came from personal and business associates from around the country.
The ads tie him and donors to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
"These desperate political ads are meant to spread lies and hate and have no place in our party today," Kou said. "I'm here today to tell you that I denounce these ads. I denounce the CCP. And I'm asking the immediate cease and desist of further malice attacks."
That may not happen soon. As Kou held a press conference announcing his hunger strike, the FRSCC announced a new video ad that launched the same day, this time accusing Kou of taking $6 million in government bailouts and running a business that relied on foreign workers.
Kou's campaign said that "bailout" could only refer to $6 million in Small Business Administration loans.
Kou, who has largely self-financed his campaign, owns a national chain of international groceries.
The press event in Tavares featured Tavares Mayor Bob Grenier and Randy Mohundro, a senior adult and Christian education leader at First Baptist Clermont, where Kou and wife Hong attend church.
Kou came to the U.S. from China to study business in college. He said he left Christian persecution in China. His campaign said Kou was even jailed alongside his grandmother for practicing their faith in the communist country.
But he said he never felt fear for his safety during that ordeal, and that the most fearful moment of his life was seeing the recent mailers attacking him and supporters for having Chinese names.
"This type of deceitful politics has turned so many away from the process," he said. "We need leaders who will fight for us, not the system. We need leaders who will fight to fix the homeowners insurance crisis, bring high-paying jobs to Florida, stop illegal immigration and allow all citizens to live the American dream."
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