FEC Dismisses Complaint Against ‘Fahrenheit’ Ads
The Federal Election Commission on Thursday dismissed a complaint by a pro-Republican group that television ads for Michael Moore’s film “Fahrenheit 9/11” violated election law.
The six commissioners unanimously rejected the complaint by Citizens United, which alleged in June that the advertisements for Moore’s documentary airing after July 30 would violate restrictions on attack ads close to presidential nominating conventions.
The commission dropped the complaint because it came before the legal cutoff date for broadcasting such ads, so no violation had yet occurred, FEC spokesman Bob Biersack said. Also, those involved with the film said they had no intention of running the ads past the legal period, Biersack said. The law bans corporate-sponsored attack ads targeting a presidential candidate within 30 days of his party’s nominating convention.
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