CT station to shadowy right wing group: Sorry, we're not airing your falsehoods anymore

A TV station in Connecticut has agreed to stop running the right-wing ad I flagged yesterday that attacks Dem Rep. Chris Murphy with various false claims and distortions, including the assertion that health reform could land people in jail, the Murphy campaign confirms.

As I reported, the ad is bankrolled by the American Action Network, another one of those shadowy conservative groups that doesn't disclose its donors. The group has sunk at least $445,000 into attacking Murphy, who is running for reelection in a tough district against Republican Sam Caligiuri.

The ad recycles several long-debunked claims: Health reform means $500 billion in Medicare cuts; it will require the hiring of thousands of IRS agents; and it could lead to "jail time for anyone without coverage."

FoxCT, the local Fox affiliate, informed the Murphy campaign that it would stop running the American Action Network ad after the Murphy camp sent the station a letter detailing the ad's falsehoods, the Murphy campaign confirms.

"We have verified that the ad in question is not accurate and will pull their schedule going forward," a FoxCT executive wrote to the Murphy campaign in an email sent my way. "I hope you have reached out to the other stations and they follow the same course."

I'm told other another Connecticut station may follow suit. If so, I'll update you.

All of which is to confirm -- yet again -- that the untold part of this story is that this national campaign bankrolled by secret cash is flooding airwaves across the country with an untold number of falsehoods and distortions. We'll probably never have a clear picture of this campaign's scope and reach, or the depth and extent of its mendacity.

