A Dallas Center city councilwoman featured in a Republican attack ad calling Iowa Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott dangerous to children pleaded guilty to child endangerment herself in 2017, according to a report published Saturday by The Washington Post.
Shellie Flockhart, 55, appears in a television spot paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that works to elect Republicans. The ad targets state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn in Iowa's competitive House race. In the spot, Flockhart tells viewers, according to a Spokesman-Review account of the ad, that when it comes to kids, Sarah is just plain dangerous. The ad does not identify Flockhart as an elected official.
What the court records show
Flockhart was taken into custody in 2017 on suspicion of drunk driving with two of her children, then ages 8 and 11, in the car, according to court records from the Iowa District Court for Dallas County cited by The Washington Post's report.
An affidavit included in the court filings said the responding officer found Flockhart parked in the grass along a highway. Her speech was slurred, the officer wrote, and she appeared to have difficulty comprehending questions. A preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol content of .254, more than three times the .08 legal limit for driving. A test taken later at the jail showed a .192 level.
Flockhart later pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment and one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, both misdemeanors, court records show. She was ordered to pay a fine and placed on probation.
How the campaigns have responded
The revelation has injected a new wrinkle into one of Iowa's most closely watched congressional contests. Trone Garriott, 48, is trying to unseat Nunn, a first-term Republican, and outside money has flooded the district as both parties fight for the seat.
A spokesman for Trone Garriott told The Washington Post the ad was disappointing but not surprising.
“Zach Nunn and his allies have resorted to desperate lies to try to win this election,” the spokesman said.
Nunn's campaign did not respond to The Washington Post's request for comment. The Congressional Leadership Fund, which paid for the ad, is aligned with House Republican leadership and has spent heavily on advertising in the race.
According to Mediaite, Flockhart did not immediately respond to that outlet's request for comment either. The Washington Post said she did provide a one-page statement, but with conditions for its use that would violate the paper's editorial standards.
A history Flockhart has spoken about publicly
Flockhart's legal history has circulated among her critics on social media in recent years. But she has not hidden from her past. In podcast interviews last year, she acknowledged her history of drug and alcohol addiction, said she went to rehab earlier in her life and found God, and described counseling others with similar struggles.
She serves as a council member at large in Dallas Center, a small town of roughly 1,900 people just northwest of Des Moines. The ad identifies her only by her first name and does not mention her position in local government.
The ad itself centers on Trone Garriott's record on transgender issues, an issue Republicans across the country have pushed in campaign advertising this cycle. Flockhart is one of several women who appear on camera to make the case against the Democratic candidate.
Why it matters in Iowa's tightest House race
The Nunn-Trone Garriott rematch is among the most expensive and competitive House races in the country this year, and both sides have relied heavily on super PAC advertising to reach voters. The Congressional Leadership Fund's spot is part of that broader air war.
The episode is a reminder that the faces fronting attack ads are rarely vetted the way candidates are, and when a messenger's own record surfaces, the story can shift quickly from the intended target to the person delivering the message.
Neither Nunn's campaign nor the Congressional Leadership Fund has said whether the ad will continue to run. Trone Garriott's campaign has called for Republicans to pull it, arguing the spot relies on false claims.
Flockhart did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. Dallas Center officials have not commented on the matter.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Shellie Flockhart?
Shellie Flockhart, 55, is a council member at large in Dallas Center, Iowa. She appears in a Congressional Leadership Fund ad attacking Sarah Trone Garriott.
What was Flockhart convicted of?
Court records show she pleaded guilty in connection with a 2017 incident to one count of child endangerment and one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, both misdemeanors. She was fined and placed on probation.
Who paid for the ad?
The ad was paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that works to elect Republicans to the U.S. House.