Aurora Victim's Mom Blasts Arizona Sen. Flake in Bloomberg Gun Ad

A new ad released by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun group uses the mother of a victim in the Aurora, Col. theater shooting to attack Republican Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.

Entitled “My Son,” the ad, sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, features comments from Arizona resident Caren Teves, mother Alex Teves, who was killed in the July 20 incident.

In her interview, Teves explains that she and her husband wrote to Flake to urge him to support strengthened background checks.

Teves claims Flake said he also supported strengthening background checks, although the senator wound up voting against the Manchin-Toomey background checks bill that went down to defeat last month.

It is Flake’s alleged flip-flop that Teves speaks to in the ad.

“The issue isn’t just background checks. It’s keeping your promise. Senator Flake didn’t,” according to Teves, who does not claim in the ad that Flake gave his word to vote in favor of the Manchin-Toomey bill.

The ad will run through May 30 in the Phoenix and Tucson media markets.

Flake took to Facebook on Friday to defend his vote and debunk the ad. While he voted against the Manchin-Toomey bill, he said he voted for a substitute measure that includes language to strengthen background checks.

"Contrary to the ad, I did vote to strengthen background checks. I voted for the bipartisan Grassley Amendment, which included language from a bill I helped write which strengthened background checks for those with mental illness. The Grassley amendment also included language to increase prosecution of criminals and fugitives who circumvent the current background check system.

"Mayor Bloomberg can spend millions trying to get me to support his view of background checks. That’s his call. But we Arizonans aren’t easily bullied. The legislation that would have done the most to keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them was the Grassley Amendment. And that’s the amendment I supported."

This isn’t Teves’ first time in the public eye.

She previously attracted press attention in February for attacking Republican Sen. John McCain at a town hall meeting in Phoenix.

Bloomberg’s anti-gun coalition also targeted Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., with an attack ad and a pressure campaign that featured a town hall appearance by the relative of a mass shooting victim.