Dem Rep. Ron Kind blasted over spa controversy in new ad
Wisconsin Democrat owns property rented to massage parlor that advertised on illicit websites
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}EXCLUSIVE: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Tuesday dropped a new ad blasting Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., over reports that revealed one of the congressman's properties is being rented to a spa that advertised on sites that aided in soliciting sex.
In the ad, the NRCC puts Kind in its crosshairs, with the Republican organization asking what the Wisconsin Democrat was "hiding" in regards to reports that he made thousands of dollars of rent from a massage parlor that advertised on illicit websites.
NRCC spokesperson Mike Berg told Fox News in a statement that voters in Wisconsin will hold Kind "accountable for his poor judgment" if he decides to run for reelection.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If Ron Kind seeks reelection, Wisconsin voters will hold him accountable for his poor judgment," said Berg. "Ron Kind needs to come clean and explain what’s been going on at his property."
WISCONSIN DEM’S PROPERTY USED FOR SEEDY MASSAGE PARLOR THAT TOUTED ‘YOUNG’ MASSEUSE
The ad pointed to recent reports that Kind made thousands of dollars in rent from Asian Sunny Massage, a spa that advertised on websites where users can pay for sex, such as RubMaps and Assortlist.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Rep. Ron Kind made tens of thousands of dollars from a seedy massage parlor," the ad says before cutting to footage of news reports about the business.
At the end of the ad, the NRCC tells viewers to "call and tell Ron Kind to stand up to sex traffickers" while including a telephone number.
REP. RON KIND INVOKES ATLANTA MASS SHOOTING IN DEFENDING BUSINESS DEAL WITH MASSAGE SPA
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There is no public evidence that the spa was being used for sex trafficking.
Asian Sunny Massage in La Crosse, Wis. — formerly known as Impression Spa — opened in April 2018, and an ad appeared on BodyRubsMap on its opening day. BodyRubsMap has advertised itself as the "best alternative to Backpage," a now-seized website known as "the largest online U.S. marketplace for sex trafficking."
While the website did not list "massages" under the "dating" or "adult" categories, the advertisements posted by Impression Spa were placed under the "Women > Men" subsection of dating.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In multiple Facebook posts in 2019, Impression Spa included screenshots of advertisements on AssortList that featured suggestive photos of women and the business’s phone number.
Asian Sunny Massage has since deleted its Facebook page. Jie Yang, the parlor’s owner, told Fox News it only performs massages and does not provide other "services."