US Senator Scott Brown on Wednesday night issued an apology for earlier saying that his opponent, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, had paid actors to appear as victims of asbestos-related illnesses in television advertisements defending her role in a lawsuit that has become a key issue in the campaign.

Two of the victims, speaking through the Warren campaign, said that was not the case.

“It was wrong for me to have jumped to those conclusions and I apologize to those I offended,’’ Brown said in a statement.

According to the Gazette, Brown made his comments while visiting Taunton Fire Department’s central station Wednesday morning, when a firefighter asked Brown why family members of asbestos victims were appearing in her commercials.


“A lot of them are paid,’’ Brown said. “We hear that maybe they pay actors. Listen, you can get surrogates and go out and say your thing. We have regular people in our commercials. No one is paid. They are regular folks that reach out to us and say she is full of it.’’