Republican Supreme Court candidate Lloyd Karmeier asked the Illinois State Bar Association last week smack Democrat Gordon Maag for running ads that violated a clean campaign pledge that both men signed.

Today, the ISBA called on both Karmeier and Maag to disavow their negative ads, two by Maag and one by Karmeier.

A committee set up to act as ethical policeman in the hotly contested state Supreme Court race in southern Illinois said Thursday that both campaigns stepped over the line with negative television advertisements.

A nine-member committee formed by the Illinois State Bar Association sent letters to the campaigns of Republican Lloyd Karmeier and Democrat Gordon Maag saying the ads were misleading and include statements that violate the ethical campaigning pledge both candidates signed in August.

The letters urge both campaigns to disavow the ads, paid for by the state Republican and Democratic parties, and say the committee is “troubled” by the negative tone of some ads in the 5th District race.

The ads, approved by Karmeier and Maag, accused the other candidate of going soft on crime while serving on the bench.