FCC Asked to Review Neil Gorsuch Ads

The Campaign Legal Center has asked the Federal Communications Commission to review ads from the Judicial Crisis Network pushing for the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch as Supreme Court justice. CLC says that JCN incorrectly labeled the ads nonpolitical and that instead they should have been subject to FCC disclosure rules that apply to “a message relating to any political matter of national importance.”

"The JCN ads indisputably meet this standard," said CLC. CLC points out that the Communications Act requires the disclosure of specific information when such a standard is met, information the JCN ads were lacking, it said. Broadcasters are required to place ads related to political matters of public importance in their public files, and they must include who bought the add and the highest officers of that group. CLC argues that should apply not only to the groups like JCN but the often big money, unidentified funders of those groups. But the FCC has yet to tighten its rules under either Democratic or Republican chairs. It has joined in various FCC complaints, both against stations they say weren't complying with the rules as they are, as well as asking the FCC to tighten them.