Las Vegas affiliates are getting sucked into local politics, with a Republican congressional candidate lobbying them to pull an ad from his opponent in the June 14 primary.
Businessman Danny Tarkanian’s campaign is disputing the veracity of an attack ad from Michael Roberson, the conservative state senator. The commercial targets Tarkanian’s involvement in a telemarketing scheme, as well as his work history with a company whose director was convicted of defrauding the elderly.
In a letter, Tarkanian’s lawyers argue that the candidate already won a defamation lawsuit against an opponent in a prior election who used the same claims. Roberson’s campaign has said that Tarkanian’s history of working with a company that got into legal trouble is indisputable.
This is not the first time this year broadcasters have been yanked into election season disputes. In May, three Wisconsin TV stations pulled an ad alleging former U.S. Sen. (and current Democratic candidate) Russ Feingold ignored the rampant over-prescription of opiates at a VA medical center while in office.
