A new ad in North Carolina’s hotly contested primary for Durham and Orange County’s seat in Congress has caused controversy over accusations that it included “false and defamatory statements” about one of the candidates.
U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee, a Democrat seeking her third term in Congress, released an ad this week accusing her opponent, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, of refusing to file a required financial disclosure.
“What is she hiding?” the ad, paid for directly by Foushee’s campaign, said.
In fact, Allam did file the financial disclosure form, but it was submitted late.
Allam’s campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter to Foushee’s campaign and local TV stations on Tuesday, asking for the ad to be pulled from the air.
In a press release Tuesday, Allam said CBS-17 had “agreed to take the ad down immediately.”
“I am glad our district’s news stations will not sit idly by and air blatant lies and falsehoods against our campaign in the final week of this election,” Allam said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that the incumbent’s campaign felt the need to resort to dishonesty to win votes in this final stretch of our primary.”
CBS-17 declined to comment Wednesday when The News & Observer asked about the ad.
According to documents reviewed by the N&O, a representative for CBS-17 said the station would be “airing different traffic ASAP” in response to concerns about the ad.
ABC11 and WRAL did not respond to an inquiry from The News & Observer about...
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