An attorney for Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Mike Collier has sent a cease-and-desist letter to major news broadcast stations, asking them to stop airing an allegedly “false and misleading advertisement” produced by his opponent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Attorney Michael Patrick Doyle sent the four-page letter to station managers across Texas on Tuesday, which asks the stations to either stop airing the attack ad or require Patrick to authenticate the claims he makes in it.
Patrick’s ad claims that Collier supports open borders, wants to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), wants to raise taxes, wants boys to play in girls’ sports, and supports the Green New Deal, but Collier’s lawyer said these claims are unsubstantiated.
“There is no citation to public or private statements alleged to be made by Mike Collier at any time that would in any way be consistent with factual claims,” Doyle’s letter reads. “This glaring omission points to the factually insupportable basis for the advertised claims, and at a minimum we would ask that you request some manner of verification before continuing to accept the advertising revenues associated with the advertisement.”
However, some legal experts have said that because Patrick sponsored the ad and his image appears on it, it is protected by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.
Nevertheless, Collier’s campaign called the commercial a “clear breach of the standards set forth by the Federal Communications Commission.”
Patrick’s campaign stands by its ad, according to Patrick’s long-time political strategist Allen Blakemore.
“Mike Collier has proudly proclaimed that he and President Biden are in complete alignment on policy, that there is no daylight between them. He has not disavowed Biden’s destructive policies that are wrecking the Texas economy and putting Texans’ lives at risk,” said Blakemore.
