LaRouche Buys 30 Minutes for Speech
Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr., the extremist presidential candidate now on trial for conspiracy, has bought 30 minutes of CBS’ prime time tonight to make a speech, preempting a network repeat of a Charlie Brown special.
Campaign spokeswoman Donna Scanlon said LaRouche, running this year as a Democrat, paid CBS “in the range of $250,000” for the 30 minutes of prime time at 8 tonight. CBS declined to confirm or deny the figure.
CBS had planned to repeat the cartoon special “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” during the half-hour purchased by LaRouche.
LaRouche, whose political views have ranged from far left to far right and who is making his fourth White House bid, is on trial in Boston with several associates on federal charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors claim they plotted to block a grand jury probe into an alleged credit card scheme to raise money for LaRouche’s 1984 presidential campaign.
A CBS spokeswoman said the network is “legally obligated to sell time” to political candidates.
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