Published January 13, 2015
A Columbus-area television station removed ads by a liberal group last weekend after a congresswoman complained they distorted her record.
The liberal group MoveOn.org paid WBNS-TV $89,400 to run ads claiming Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, was "caught red-handed" taking donations from energy companies and then voting against legislation that would have punished them for gas-price gouging.
Pryce is the top-ranking Republican woman in Congress but faces a tough re-election campaign this year. She said the use of "caught red-handed" implied she had broken a law, which she had not.
She also complained the ads made it appear she took money directly from oil companies, which is illegal, when in fact she got donations from the company's political units, which is allowed. She voted for a recent anti-price gouging measure, but MoveOn said she had voted against several previous ones.
Eli Pariser, MoveOn's political director, said the station didn't say why it removed the ad.
A message seeking comment from WBNS was left Tuesday.
Three other stations had already rejected the ads. Pariser promised MoveOn would create another set of ads attacking Pryce and said "all of the stations say they welcome future ads."
https://www.foxnews.com/story/ohio-tv-station-drops-ads-after-congresswoman-complains