Republican group forced to remove false ad about Sen. Tammy Baldwin

GOP group Wisconsin Principles was forced to remove a false attack ad targeting Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) because of an overt misrepresentation at the core of the ad.

The ad first aired in the La Crosse/Eau Claire media market on September 13 and focused on a misleading claim that Baldwin pushed for “conflict of interest regulations” but exempted himself.

The video references S. 2057, which prohibits executive branch employees involved in regulating the pharmaceutical industry from engaging in lobbying activities after they leave government office.

This fact was disclosed on September 16 via emails from Baldwin’s legal team to the station that aired the ad. Heartland Signal obtained these emails via screenshots.

These emails also show that after being notified, Wisconsin Principles removed the ad last Wednesday and sent a replacement ad.

On September 4, Baldwin’s opponent, California-based banker Eric Hovde, also attacked her in a campaign video over conflict of interest concerns.

In response to the Wisconsin Principles ad and Hovde’s video, Baldwin spokesman Andrew Mamo issued the following statement:

“Eric Hovde’s sad and desperate lies about Tammy Baldwin’s personal life are so vile that they were forced off the air. Tammy Baldwin’s record is clear: she works for the people of Wisconsin and only the people of Wisconsin.”

Hovde’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Thursday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a report that Hovde’s Sunwest Bank received $26.2 million in cash from Mexican bank Banco Azteca. Banco Azteca has ties to Mexican drug cartels and a bribery scandal involving a Texas lawmaker.

Baldwin and Hovde are expected to debate each other on October 18, just 18 days before the election.