Sherman questions Super PAC cable buy for Berman
A so-called Super PAC has bought nearly $500,000 in cable television advertising to support Howard Berman, who is warring with fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Shermanfor a San Fernando Valley congressional district seat.
The Committee to Elect an Effective Valley Congressman bought political ads on several Time Warner Cable systems in the Valley, starting Tuesday and running up until the June 5 primary.
The Sherman campaign announced details of the purchase and raised several questions, including why the Super PAC had not listed other campaign expenditures in its report to federal election officials and suggested that it was trying to hide the source of its contributors by waiting until the latest filing period ended, on March 31, to make the cable TV ad buys.
Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates so long as the organization does not coordinate its efforts with the candidate; it is required to report donors and expenditures.
-- Jean Merl, Los Angeles Times