Clear Channel radio stations in Colorado have temporary pulled a radio advertisement by the 501(c)4 environmental group Defenders of Wildlife attacking Marilyn Musgrave, according to Musgrave's campaign and Defenders of Wildlife.
Clear Channel had questioned a part of the ad where the language was unclear, said Defenders of Wildlife spokesperson David Kirk.
Kirk said the ad would resume with slightly different language by Thursday evening, adding that the group will soon be expanding its ad buy.
But Musgrave's campaign said the ad had been "blatantly lying" about Musgrave's record and praised Clear Channel for pulling it off the air.
Clear Channel radio stations in Colorado have temporary pulled a radio advertisement by the 501(c)4 environmental group Defenders of Wildlife attacking Marilyn Musgrave, according to Musgrave's campaign and Defenders of Wildlife.
Clear Channel had questioned a part of the ad where the language was unclear, said Defenders of Wildlife spokesperson David Kirk. Kirk said the ad would resume with slightly different language by Thursday evening, adding that the group will soon be expanding its ad buy.
But Musgrave's campaign said the ad had been "blatantly lying" about Musgrave's record and praised Clear Channel for pulling it off the air.
The ad had been airing on Clear Channel stations KOA-AM (850), KHOW-AM (630), KBCO-FM (97.3), KCOL (1310), and KUAD-FM (99.1), Musgrave's campaign said. A phone call to Clear Channel seeking comment was not returned Thursday afternoon.
The ad is still airing on several other radio stations not owned by Clear Channel, Kirk said.
In the ad, two speakers accuse Musgrave of giving billions in tax breaks to oil companies, co-sponsoring a bill that would reduce capital-gains taxes on coins owned by her husband, and being one of the most corrupt members of Congress.
Kirk said Clear Channel pulled the ad because the company questioned one part in which a female speaker says of Musgrave, "Seems her family has these fancy investments in coins - and her bill would save them thousands on their personal taxes."
A male responds, "First, Musgrave takes those big congressional pay raises -- now she wants a big tax break? Really outrageous!"
According to Kirk, Clear Channel said that language might be interpreted to mean that Musgrave was pushing legislation to get another pay raise - a charge that would not be true.
Clear Channel agreed to resume the ad Thursday after the Defenders of Wildlife "tweaked the language," Kirk said.
"It was a logistical thing," he said.
But in a statement, Musgrave's campaign hailed Clear Channel for pulling the "illegal" ad by an "extreme smear group" whose opposition to any domestic oil drilling and constructing a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border is "at odds with the average Colorado voter. "
"Their radical views do not line up with those of Colorado voters but clearly they line up with those of Betsy Markey," Musgrave manager Jason Thielman said in the statement. "It is of no wonder she still refused to denounce their unethical actions."
But Kirk said all the allegations made in the radio ad were true and said Republicans were trying to "smear our organization by making false allegations and hoping they stick."
Kirk said his group will soon purchase even more radio spots for the ad. He said the new ad buy would be "considerable," though he declined to provide specifics.
Defenders of Wildlife is also currently airing a television ad hitting Musgrave. This summer, the group made a six-figure ad buy against Musgrave.
Markey spokesperson Ben Marter declined comment on the issue Thursday afternoon.
