To: Station Managers
From: Strategic Media Placement, INC
Date: June 6, 2024
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To Whom it May Concern:
We represent Nancy Mace for Congress as the campaign’s media placement vendor, and are writing in regard to the South Carolina Patriots PAC advertisement “Violation”, currently running on your station.
It has come to our attention that your station is currently airing a political advertisement paid for by South Carolina Patriots PAC entitled “Violation” which contains false, misleading, and deceptive statements. As such, we request that you immediately cease and desist broadcasting this advertisement.
The advertisement, paid for by South Carolina Patriots PAC, is false, misleading, and deceptive as follows:
The ad, “Violation” states that “…Mace is accused of enriching herself with taxpayer money; Mace allegedly was secretly fleecing taxpayers in violation of federal law and could face criminal penalties and corruption charges…” The ad also states Mace was “…pocketing your money…”
These statements are false, misleading, and deceptive. At no time did Nancy Mace break house financial rules or expense lodging that was not permissible by federal law. While the cited Washington Post article criticizes the member’s discretion, the statement that she was in breach of federal law is false. Congresswoman Mace will not face criminal penalties or corruption charges.
The second disputed claim in “Violation” ad states that Mace is “…pocketing your money…” which is outright false; Congresswoman Mace has not attained direct financial benefit as a result of expenses related to her official duties as Congresswoman for South Carolina’s 1st District.
The false, vague claims in the political advertisement “Violation” are presented as fact without context and lack hard substantiation, and are currently airing on your station. As you may know, you have a duty “to protect the public from false, misleading, or deceptive advertising.” License Responsibility With Respect to Broadcast of False, Misleading or Deceptive Advertising, 74 F.C.C.2d 623 (1961).
Your failure to stop the airing of “false and misleading advertising” may be “probative of an underlying abdication of licensee responsibility” that can result in the loss of a station’s license. Cosmopolitan Broad. Corp. v. FCC, 581 F.2d 917, 927 (D.C. Cir. 1978).
I appreciate your immediate attention to this matter. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at insert email here.