Republican Representative Lin Bennett is in hot water after she was caught on audio degrading food service workers. In a 2013 recording shared by Democratic candidate Ed Sutton, Bennett can be heard claiming that restaurant workers “have no life” and “don’t deserve to make anything.”
“If that is your lifetime job — God help us,” Bennett states, referring to individuals who make their primary income from service industry jobs. “If your lifetime goal is to get up every day and slap a burger on a bun and give it to someone, you have no life. You don’t ever deserve to make anything.”
Sutton, the Democratic candidate running against Bennett for House District 114, shared a link to the audio in a tweet recognizing Labor Day. He released the following statement: “I believe that ALL Americans who contribute to our nation’s economy should be treated with dignity [and] respect, especially by those elected to represent them.”
This isn’t the first time the Charleston Republican has found herself at the center of scandal, though. Just last year, The Daily Beast reported on Bennett’s involvement with Qanon, an online conspiracy organization that has been linked to incidents of domestic terrorism.
Bennett’s comments mark only the most recent development in a hard-fought battle between Democrats and Republicans for the Lowcountry this November. As of this afternoon, Bennett has yet to release a statement and her Twitter account remains private.