In this ad, Illinois Future PAC must display the federally required disclaimer noting that it is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee, which it has failed to do, in addition to a failure to display a street address, phone number, or website for Illinois Future PAC. (See 1 CFR 110.11(b)(3)) Failing to meet this disclosure requirement, the Illinois Future PAC ad additionally misleads the public in superimposing a logo (beginning at the 26-second mark) bearing a high degree of similarity to the logo (see below) used by Juliana for Illinois, a federal candidate’s committee. In conjunction, these two facts produce an advertisement designed to intentionally mislead the public into a believed official relationship between Juliana for Illinois and the Illinois Future PAC ad.
Unlike candidate committees, independent political organizations such as Illinois Future PAC do not have a “right to command the use of broadcast facilities” (CBS v. DNC, 1973). As you are not required to air this ad, your station bears responsibility for its content (Felix v. Westinghouse Radio Stations, 1950).
You additionally have a responsibility to “protect the public from false, misleading or deceptive advertising” (Licensee Responsibility With Respect to the Broadcast of False, Misleading, or Deceptive Advertising, 1961). A failure in this area to prevent the airing of “false and misleading advertising” may be “probative of an underlying abdication of licensee responsibility” that could put your station’s license in jeopardy (Cosmopolitan Broadcasting Corporation v FCC, 1978).
As this ad is unquestionably and intentionally misleading, with the intention of deceiving your viewers, we ask that you immediately cease airing it on your station. An FEC complaint is being filed imminently on this issue.
…Adding… As you can see above, the ad is no longer available. But you can still watch it here.
…Adding… The disclaimer has been updated. From a Spokesperson for IL Future PAC…
It is no surprise that Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi would prefer voters not hear about Juliana’s proven record of delivering results for the people of Illinois. Nothing in the advertisement misrepresents that record.
What is misleading is the Congressman’s public criticism of ICE while accepting nearly $100,000 from ICE contractors and MAGA aligned Trump donors, once again putting his own interests ahead of Illinoisans. Rather than attempting to distract, his campaign should probably explain why he has taken this money and used it to be on television for five months with no movement in the polls. The disclaimer in the ad has been updated, and the advertisement will continue to run without interruption.
The new ad is here. Some really fast talking at the end to fit that disclaimer in.
…Adding… Raja for Illinois…
Juliana Stratton’s dark money super PAC — which hasn’t disclosed a single donor — was forced to take its ad off TV because it broke the law, misled Illinois voters, and they got caught. Team Stratton’s abject failure today comes just 60 days before Illinois voters go to the polls. WGN News said it best last week: ‘To see the Lieutenant Governor… struggling with minority groups, struggling with females, almost any demographic group that you would think would be a core Democratic constituency raised a lot of eyebrows about what her campaign has been doing for the last 6 months.’
This is a good ad. I’ll give it an A-. Helpful to throw out the Medicare for All position since the Lt Governor hasn’t really emphasized that position previously in her campaign.
Let’s hear more about taxing the rich — but it’s helpful to use the term billionaires to be specific. Probably a reason why that wasn’t used in the script.
===Good voice doppelganger for Juliana.===
Probably an AI tool like the ThereIRuinedIt guy uses.
I don’t think Dem primary voters are really all about an economic argument, even one including M4A, right now. They want someone to say “I’ll punch Kristi Noem in the neck.”
That being said, Raja’s ads don’t say that either, and Stratton’s biggest problem (Kelly’s, too) is that Raja is the only person anyone knows, so maybe just getting her name out there is good enough.
This was a good ad 6 months ago. Juliana needs to be more aggressive and concretely lay out what she’s done.
- Kurt Angle’s Milk - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 2:53 pm:
Overall, it’s a good ad. It would be great as an intro ad in a lower stakes race. But to echo a few points made above, I’d like to see something more aggressive. So for this context, I give it a B/B-.
I have to believe an FEC COMPLAINT is not the result the Stratton campaign (oh, whoops! I mean the Illinois future PAC) wanted to see coming out of this ad. Sloppy stuff.
Kind of felt the same. It’s a little late in the game to be introducing yourself to the voters. Julia is also the only candidate who can take claim for partnering with the Governor to actually get things done.
- *ducks* - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:31 am:
Good voice doppelganger for Juliana.
- tired girl - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:40 am:
wow…tone is spot on
- JB13 - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:40 am:
– What will it take to lower costs in Illinois?
You need the grit of growing up working class –
Is she saying our governor won’t actually or can’t actually lower costs in Illinois?
- New Day - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:19 am:
Do we know the size of the buy yet?
- Lakeview Larry - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:23 am:
Simple yet effective. Everything doesn’t always have to be robust or cheesy.
At last, someone on my TV other than the guy I can just call “Raja”
Well done.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:39 am:
Solid opening. Good message.
- Pundent - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:48 am:
It’s a good ad. I’d rate it a B as it hits on all the expected talking points. I’m just not sure if it moves the needle.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:03 am:
Again, how much can a U.S. senator do to cut property, motor fuel, or sales taxes in Illinois?
- Earnest - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:16 am:
A. Coming out specifically in support of Medicare for All is what I’ve been waiting for.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:34 am:
This is a good ad. I’ll give it an A-. Helpful to throw out the Medicare for All position since the Lt Governor hasn’t really emphasized that position previously in her campaign.
Let’s hear more about taxing the rich — but it’s helpful to use the term billionaires to be specific. Probably a reason why that wasn’t used in the script.
===Good voice doppelganger for Juliana.===
Probably an AI tool like the ThereIRuinedIt guy uses.
- Annon'in - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:46 am:
Taxing the Rich falls a little flat.
Might try the min. wage hike.
Still waiting to learn how crowded air waves will be
- Arsenal - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
Not really that impressed, but context counts.
I don’t think Dem primary voters are really all about an economic argument, even one including M4A, right now. They want someone to say “I’ll punch Kristi Noem in the neck.”
That being said, Raja’s ads don’t say that either, and Stratton’s biggest problem (Kelly’s, too) is that Raja is the only person anyone knows, so maybe just getting her name out there is good enough.
- Doubtful - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 1:44 pm:
This was a good ad 6 months ago. Juliana needs to be more aggressive and concretely lay out what she’s done.
- Kurt Angle’s Milk - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 2:53 pm:
Overall, it’s a good ad. It would be great as an intro ad in a lower stakes race. But to echo a few points made above, I’d like to see something more aggressive. So for this context, I give it a B/B-.
- FEC Complaint? - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 2:53 pm:
I have to believe an FEC COMPLAINT is not the result the Stratton campaign (oh, whoops! I mean the Illinois future PAC) wanted to see coming out of this ad. Sloppy stuff.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 3:08 pm:
Voter attention span is now officially one to two weeks?
- Pundent - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 3:13 pm:
=This was a good ad 6 months ago.=
Kind of felt the same. It’s a little late in the game to be introducing yourself to the voters. Julia is also the only candidate who can take claim for partnering with the Governor to actually get things done.
- Downstate Dem - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 3:31 pm:
==Sloppy stuff.==
No kidding. This is the easy stuff. Not the savior Stratton’s team was hoping for.