Hillary ad highlights NJ business owner who says he was swindled by Trump casino

Hillary Clinton’s third attack ad against Donald Trump released this week takes aim atTrump’s negativeimpact on the Atlantic City region and its business owners.

“I was just a small business owner, trying to make a living, sell my pianos, take care of my customers,” said Michael Diehl of his dealings with the Trump Taj Mahal casino. “I feel as if somebody stole $30,000 from me.”

Diehl was stiffedafter selling eight pianos worth $100,000in 1989 to the Atlantic City casino that Trump spent nearly $1 billion building.

The retired owner of the Freehold Music Center said he waited months to get paid, during which time the Taj Mahalgave him the runaround. Finally, he said, he was offered three options: Take 70 percent of payment owed; wait until the casino was profitable to be paid back in full; or force it into bankruptcy and get pennies on the dollar. He chose 70 percent payment.

“[Trump has]built his empireon other people’s backs,” Diehl said.”He’s made deals to his own benefit and stuck people along the road.”

The ad also includes footage from an Aug. 6 Fox News debate, in which Trump criticized the banks and lenders he did business with before declaring bankruptcy.

“First of all these lenders are not babies,” Trump told anchor Chris Wallace. “They are killers. These are not the nice sweet little people you think.”

“The people that got hurt in Atlantic City are honest, hard-working people just like me,” Diehl responded. “I’m certainly not a killer.”

Diehl’s story is the third Clinton’s campaign has released this week during the Republican National Convention. On Monday, the candidatereprisedthe famous1964 “Confessions of a Republican” ad that slammed Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. On July 14, the campaign released an emotional ad, “Role Models,” that questioned how Trump’swords are affecting children.