LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The Republican Governors Association on Wednesday released its first television ad in the Kentucky governor's race, but a portion of the ad features stock video of miners in Mexico.



The RGA's ad criticizes Democrat Jack Conway's position on federal energy regulations that would impact the state's coal industry. It seeks to tie Conway with President Barack Obama, who is unpopular in Kentucky.



Until this week, the RGA had been absent from the television airwaves following Republican Matt Bevin's primary victory in late May. The group didn't disclose how much it was spending on the ad buy.



The ad shows video of miners walking through a mine. Kentucky Democrats pointed to a stock video website, which allows users to download the mining clip for $97. The RGA appears to have inverted the stock video for its use.



See the ad here, and the stock video here. Supporting information for the stock footage shows it was shot at Mina el Nopal, a mine in Guanajuato, Mexico.



Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.



Some of the ad's claims themselves also need clarification, according to a WAVE 3 News Reality Check.



"Conway supported Obama on cap-and-trade," the ad's announcer says. "It's been called a national energy tax that could kill thousands of Kentucky jobs and hike our utility rates."



Cap-and-trade puts limits on greenhouse gas emissions by providing companies with allowances -- the "cap." Companies can then sell their unused allowances -- the "trade."



Conway's position on cap-and-trade during his 2010 U.S. Senate campaign was cloudy. In 2009, he opposed President Obama's initial plan but said he could support it with certain changes. When Congress didn't make the changes, Conway came out against the bill.



"I'm against cap-and-trade, too -- always have been," Conway said during a 2010 debate with Republican Rand Paul on Fox News Channel.



"No -- that's not true," interrupted moderator Chris Wallace.



The Republican Governors Association ad also portrays Conway as a supporter of the national health care law. It quotes Conway saying he would've been "proud" to vote for it, something he said during an April 2010 interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal's editorial board.



"There was a time for Democrats to stand up and be a Democrat. I would've been proud to vote for it," Conway said. Yet he later said he had concerns that the law didn't allow the federal Medicare program to buy pharmaceuticals in bulk, which Conway said would've saved money.



Conway began running television ads of his own on Tuesday. Bevin has yet to air a TV ad in the general election, although he spent more than $1 million during a closely contested Republican primary.



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