Ron Paul's Gingrich Attack Ad Cites Phony Figures

Ron Paul's new ad attacking Newt Gingrich exaggerates Gingrich's net worth when he left Congress in 1998.

The ad, released Sunday, calls Gingrich a career politician who sold access while he served in the House of Representatives. The futuristic video, set to dramatic music, features clips from news programs and references articles about Gingrich's rise to wealth while in Congress.

"He is the absolute symbol of that corrupt system," one unnamed male says. "This guy hasn't got skeletons in his closets, he's got a whole graveyard in there," says another.

But when referencing one article about Gingrich's earnings, the ad cites incorrect figures, according to the paper that wrote the piece in question. In a story published on Wednesday, Roll Call that said the ad misquotes the paper's Dec. 2 story about the former speaker's wealth:

But the ad eventually detours into fantasyland, asserting that "by the time he [Gingrich] left Congress, he’s brought his net worth to about $7-and-a-half million."

According to Roll Call's story, Gingrich listed about $606,000 in assets in his last financial disclosure before resigning from Congress in 1998.