Dirty Politics: YWCA Executive Director Who Asked Berg To Pull Ad Is Heidi Heitkamp’s Niece

Earlier today I wrote about the YWCA asking the Rick Berg for Senate campaign to pull an ad featuring one of the organization’s past board members talking about the good Berg did for the organization.

I noted that the demand to pull the ad seemed politically motivated. It might be understandable that a non-profit organization doesn’t want the appearance of endorsing a political candidate, but for the YWCA to demand that the ad be pulled down in such a hostile and public manner (they sent out a public press release rather than asking the Berg campaign directly) makes it seem like there’s politics involved.

It turns out there almost certainly is politics involved. And a family connection for Heitakmp. I would have added this in an update to my previous post, but this seems like it needed its own post.

The executive director of the Cass County YWCA, which asked that the ad be taken down, is one Erin Prochnow. Erin’s parents are Richard and Julie Prochnow. Julie Prochnow can be seen in this picture on Heidi Heitkamp’s Facebook page introducing the candidate.

Her maiden name is Julie Heitkamp, and she’s Heidi Heitkamp’s sister, which makes the executive director of the Cass County YWCA, which attacked Berg’s ad, Heitkamp’s niece.

But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence, right?

There was nothing wrong with Berg’s YWCA ad. He was featuring a personal testimonial of a past YWCA board member. He was not, in any way, claiming the endorsement of the YWCA. But that didn’t stop the Heitkamps from leaping into action, attacking Berg’s ad, which may serve Heitkamp’s campaign, but also tarnishing the reputation of the Cass County YWCA in the process.

It just goes to show that Heitkamp and her allies will stoop to any level to win this campaign.