A local Iowa official called out Saturday for her past arrest record after appearing in a political ad ripping a Democratic Congressional candidate as “just plain dangerous” has spoken out — accusing the House hopeful of “spiritual abuse.”

Shellie Flockhart posted a lengthy message on X addressing her 2017 arrest for child endangerment after a Saturday report in The Washington Post highlighted her record in light of her appearance in the ad about Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott.

Trone Garriott, who is running for the House of Representative against incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), slammed the ad on X.

“Paid actors, corrupt politicians, and now this. This is who Zach Nunn has speaking for him in his ads,” wrote Trone Garriott, whose bio on Emily’s List identifies her as a minister.

In the ad, Flockhart, 55, who serves as a council member at large in Dallas Center, Iowa just outside of Des Moines, is one of several women who denounce Trone Garriott for her stance on trans issues, labeling the candidate as “dangerous.”

Flockhart, who did not immediately respond to Mediaite’s request for comment, took to the social media platform later Saturday with a message:

Today, I want to address a painful chapter from my past head-on, one that has recently been resurfaced by someone close to me through social media posts aimed at discrediting and shaming me.

More than 9 years ago—3355 days, to be precise—I made a grave mistake: I drank and drove with my children in the car. It was inexcusable, a profound failure in judgment that endangered those I love most and shattered the trust others placed in me.

I owned that mistake fully at the time, fulfilling all legal requirements and embracing the consequences. Since then, I’ve committed every day to sobriety, working a program that continues to guide my path.

Flockart also addressed Trone Garriott directly.

“Hey, @SarahforIowa A pastor’s job is grace and healing—not weaponizing a 10-year-old OWI against someone with a decade of sobriety. That’s not accountability. That’s spiritual abuse,” Flockhart wrote.

Trone Garriott’s campaign did not immediately respond to Mediaite’s request for comment.

The post Woman in Controversial Political Ad Accuses Democratic Congressional Hopeful of ‘Spiritual Abuse’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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