Tiffany Edens

Former Gov. Barbara Roberts sympathized with the plight of Tiffany Edens, the rape victim who appeared in a re-election commercial for U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, but feared that her tragic story may have been used by the Smith campaign simply for political gain.

KOIN T.V. had a feature segment with Tiffany Edens, who starred in one of U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith's commercials released Friday accusing Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Merkley of being soft on crime by not extending the statute of limitations for serial rapists.

"I have made the choice to vote for somebody that will ensure the rights of victims," Edens told reporter Mike Donahue.

U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) released two new advertisements Friday accusing U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) of siding with criminals when he voted in 2005 not to extend Oregon’s statute of limitations.