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Virginia GOP Campaign Aide Attacks NAACP

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A campaign consultant helping a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Virginia has attacked the NAACP and cities with large African-American populations.

News outlets report that Rick Shaftan, who is working for Corey Stewart's Senate campaign, has posted disparaging comments about African Americans on social media in past years. He also said that the NAACP is "more violent" than the KKK.

Shaftan used an expletive in January when discussing Baltimore replacing a confederate statue. He was also critical of New Orleans and Ferguson, Missouri.

Shaftan declined comment. Stewart declined to say whether he would keep working with Shaftan.

Shaftan also helped Stewart in last year's GOP primary. Shaftan led a group that created a fake Facebook headline on a news story to spread false information about one of Stewart's rivals.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.