Denver-based TV station KUSA is requiring a Republican campaign committee to re-edit a negative attack ad against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter and remove misleading information.
The station said it would require Coloradans for Justice to re-cut the ad, which began airing Thursday night. The ad contains inaccurate information about the length of time a defendant served in county jail. A CBS4 "Reality Check" also called portions of the ad "false" and "misleading."
"Bill Ritter’s record as Denver’s District Attorney is certainly open to scrutiny during this campaign," Ritter’s campaign manager, Greg Kolomitz, said today. "But when Congressman Beauprez, the Trailhead Group, Coloradans for Justice, or any other political group mangles the truth, we will demand that they be held accountable and that the record is set straight."
Earlier this month, a Denver television station and a radio station required Trailhead to re-edit another misleading ad that attacked Ritter’s record. Other media outlets around Colorado also have pulled Trailhead ads in other races.
Ritter served as Denver’s District Attorney from 1993 to 2005. He achieved a 95 percent conviction rate and sent more than 12,000 criminals to state prison. His office handled more than 200,000 cases while he as District Attorney, and he received numerous awards for his work on behalf of victims. He created Victim Services 2000, Communities Against Senior Exploitation (CASE) and the Victim Services Network. He also served on the board of Project PAVE (Promoting Alternatives to Violence through Education).
For more on Ritter’s record, click here.
Read additional articles and commentary about Bill's opponents' callous exploitation of the case in their continuing pattern of distorting his record: (Sorted by date)
- Westword: Sept 28 - Calhoun: Cold. Very Cold. Attack ads heat up the governor's race.
- Colorado Springs Gazette: Sept 27 - Negative ads color race for governor
- Denver Post: Sept 27 - Ritter: Ad exploits victim
- KUSA 9 News: Sept 25 - TRUTH TEST: Ad attacks Ritter on plea bargain
- SquareState.net: Sept 24 - Hypocrisy 101 w/ 'Plea Bargain' Pete Coors
- ColoradoLib.com: Sept 23 - More on the Coloradans for "Justice" ad
- Rocky Mountain News: Sept 23 - Littwin: Trailhead on slippery path with Ritter ad
- Rocky Mountain News: Sept 23 - Trailhead denies Beauprez collaboration in attack ads
- ColoradoLib.com: Sept 22 - Ritter campaign refuses to be Swift Boated
- ColoradoLib.com: Sept 22 - Ritter campaign strikes back at misleading ad
- Denver Post: Sept 22 - Ad watch, 9/22
- CBS4News: Sept 21 - Controversial Political Ad Attacks Bill Ritter
- Pueblo Chieftain: Sept 13 - Foolish Attacks (Letter from former DA Gus Sandstrom)
- Denver Post: Sept 12 - Records are distorted in demon DA ads
- Boulder Daily Camera: Sept 5 - Truth in politics: It's threatened by independent gunslingers
- Denver Post: Sept 5 - Attacks on Ritter called misleading ... stats show his DA record of prison for felons is higher than the national average
Comments