Larson campaign: FEC provided ‘incorrect' information; corrected ad

The campaign of Republican Congressional candidate Lyle Larson responded Monday to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's complaint that a commercial airing on cable did not include a written approval message, and therefore was in violation of federal law.

The Federal Election Commission requires candidates to include both a written and verbal disclosure authorization in their campaign commercials. Larson campaign manager Jill DeYoung told PolitickerTX.com the F.E.C. misinformed the campaign about what kind of written approval message was necessary on two occasions.  

DeYoung said she contacted the F.E.C. a few weeks ago during the commercial's production to verify exactly what kind of disclosure statement was required. An F.E.C. representative informed her that the commercial only needed to say "paid for by Lyle Larson for Congress" because the candidate was already giving a verbal disclosure in the ad.

Monday morning the campaign received word of the DCCC's complaint with the F.E.C. With the "entire" campaign staff on speakerphone, DeYoung called the F.E.C. and once again was told the campaign only needed to display "paid for" on its on-screen disclosure.

Sensing a problem, DeYoung escalated a call to Greg Scott, who heads the division that twice provided incorrect information to the campaign. Scott, she said, offered an apology "on behalf of the Information Department for giving [the campaign] wrong information not once, but twice."

The Larson campaign had their campaign producer correct the commercial. It will now say "Paid for and approved by Lyle Larson for Congress." The corrected commercial is now being uploaded to the cable companies airing the ad.

"Of course we want to comply whole-heartedly with the rules and regulations of the commission," DeYoung said. "And we wouldn't have done anything wrong. That's why we called just to double check while we were in production."

DeYoung said the commercial "hits a little close to home," and the DCCC's complaint was an effort to get the ad pulled off the air.