Political Ad Trackers File FCC Complaint Against Stations

The Sunlight Foundation, joined by the Campaign Legal Center and Common Cause, has filed complaints at the Federal Communications Commission against two TV stations it said failed to properly identify the sponsors of political ads.

The stations targeted are Allbritton's WJLA Washington, which Sinclair is in the process of purchasing, and KGW Portland. The groups emphasized that the complaint was against Allbritton, not Sinclair.

The complaint against WJLA alleges it aired two ads that failed to identify that they were sponsored by a former hedge fund manager, instead identifying the sole sponsor and funder as super PAC NextGen Climate Action Committee. They also alleged that KGW aired multiple political ads identified as sponsored by American Principles Fund, when that group received "nearly all its funding" from another hedge fund manager.