Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D-AR) has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission over racially-tinged attack ads in which Indian actors thank Halter for helping to get them jobs.
The conservative group Americans For Job Security paid for the ads, which Halter opponent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) denounced as “offensive” — before launching an India-themed mailer of her own.
The TPM Poll Average for the May 18 Arkansas Democratic Senate primary shows Lincoln leading Halter 45.2% to 31.8%.
Halter’s complaint claims that Americans For Job Security has violated FEC rules by spending more than $900,000 on ads “viciously attacking” Halter without disclosing the donors who paid for the ads. While the group claims it’s exempt from that disclosure requirement because its ad is “true issue advocacy,” Halter’s complaint charges that this “vicious, racially offensive” ad is a direct attack on Halter rather than an issue-focused ad — and thus subject to disclosure rules.
Read the complaint here.
(H/T Greg Sargent)
