The Arkansas Ethics Commission dismissed a radio ad complaint made by the Arkansas Republican Party in regards to an inappropriate midterm election radio ad. The advertisement was called racist by both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congressional race.
The advertisement was run in Arkansas by a North Carolina political action committee, Black Americans for the President’s Agenda. The ad, in favor of U.S. Rep. French Hill, stated that “white Democrats will be lynching black folk again.” In addition, the ad stated that African American men would be accused of rape and found guilty, if Democrats were to win the election.
Both U.S. Rep. French Hill and his democratic opponent, Clarke Tucker, came out immediately against the ad. “I condemn this outrageous ad in the strongest terms,” said Arkansas Representative French Hill, a Republican. “There’s no place in Arkansas for this nonsense.”
The advertisement was labelled by the New York Times as one of the most inflammatory ads of the midterms, bringing national attention to the central Arkansas election.
The largest donors to the North Carolina PAC, Black Americans for the President’s Agenda, are curiously Florida residents.
The Republican Party of Arkansas submitted a complaint that the advertisement was from a PAC that had never registered in Arkansas. The Arkansas Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint on the grounds that the PAC did not have to register in Arkansas, as it was a national election.
U.S. Rep. French Hill won re-election.
