Now that Democrats have finished their nasty primary fight in Virginia’s 11th district, party officials are happy to take aim at Republican Keith Fimian, who is hoping to keep the battleground district in GOP hands come November.

Fimian, a certified public accountant, is running as a successful business owner who wants to bring common sense business practices to Capitol Hill. But Democrats are working hard to discredit those business credentials even as the little-known candidate is just beginning to introduce himself to voters.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already pointed to a 2005 tax lien filed against Fimian’s business, U.S. Inspect Inc., for $16,000. The committee has also circulated a delinquent tax bill from the state of Delaware in 2007 against U.S. Inspect and are pointing out that the company’s business license was revoked in the state of Arkansas in 2006.

“Keith Fimian is running this campaign on his business credentials, yet his record of delinquent tax bills and IRS liens tell a different story,” DCCC spokeswoman Kyra Jennings said on Thursday. “Fimian can no longer hide from his fiscal irresponsibility, and the voters of Northern Virginia deserve to know the truth about his bad business practices.”

Republicans accused the DCCC of playing political games to hide the flaws of their own candidate in the race to replace retiring Rep. Tom Davis (R), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly (D).

“It comes as no surprise that Democrats are resorting to political smoke screens in the very same week that Gerry Connolly has come under serious scrutiny,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain said.

Spain was referring to a recent flurry of articles in which the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has been criticized for extending the lease of a Saudi government-funded Islamic school that has come under scrutiny for child abuse allegations and anti-American teachings.

Fimian campaign adviser John Hishta said Thursday that it’s unfortunate that the DCCC has resorted to dirty campaign tactics so quickly in the race.

“These are serious times and campaigns should be about serious discussion about how we are going to best fix the problems the country faces,” Hishta said. “It’s a shame the DCCC goes into the gutter right out of the gate instead of discussing Mr. Connolly and his record.”