INDIANAPOLIS – Rep. Braun may be touting his business experience on the campaign trail and using his wealth from that business to fund his Senate bid, but that business was built by using suppliers whose products are often made in China, Mexico, Canada, and other foreign countries, an Associated Press report shows. During last week’s GOP debate, Rep. Braun claimed he doesn’t “know where [manufacturers get their products] made.” It’s laughable that a candidate running on his business acumen wouldn’t know where his products come from, but an AP fact check also found out the answer for him: online searches show that Rep. Braun’s company, Meyer Distributing, actually sells auto parts made in China.
From the Associated Press: AP FACT CHECK: GOP Senate hopefuls twist truth in nasty race
Indiana’s Republican Senate primary has been characterized as one of the nastiest GOP races this year.
…The three Republicans are waging a bitter campaign — both Rokita and Messer have accused each other of being “unhinged” — for the right to challenge Donnelly.
…MIKE BRAUN: “I deal with American manufacturers. We buy their products. I don’t know where they get them made.”
THE FACTS: It would be surprising that Braun does not know where the products sold by his auto parts business, Meyer Distributing, are made. The former state lawmaker and independently wealthy candidate, has built much of his campaign around the claim that he is an expert businessman with technical know-how.
An online search reveals that dozens of the companies listed on Meyer Distributing’s website either sell or make products from foreign countries, among them China, Canada, Germany and Mexico. Meyer Distributing’s home page also links to some of their suppliers’ pages, with many clearly indicating that many aren’t American companies — counter to what Braun contends.
Records maintained by the website Panjiva.com, which tracks imports and exports, show’s Braun’s Jasper, Indiana, business has received shipments of goods from factories in China.
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