McKee claims group’s ad purchase backing Gorbea violates campaign finance laws

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee has filed a complaint with the R.I. Board of Elections claiming a group that purchased television and radio ads supporting fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nellie M. Gorbea violated campaign finance laws.

The complaint accuses the Latino Victory Fund of failing to disclose $118,300 in air time it purchased with local television and radio stations backing Gorbea on Sept. 2. McKee’s campaign claims the national group didn’t disclose the expenditure during the mandated 24-hour disclosure period, since the ads were scheduled to start airing on Tuesday.

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“It is imperative for Nellie Gorbea to stand up and protect the integrity of Rhode Island’s campaign finance system by calling on her supporters to take down the ad and stop breaking the law. She is, after all, the chief elections officer for the state,” said Brexton Isaacs, McKee’s campaign manager. “She should put the integrity of Rhode Island elections before her own political gain.”

In a separate letter to each television outlet, McKee’s campaign urged WLNE-TV ABC 6, WJAR-TV NBC 10, WPRI-TV CBS 12, and WNAC-TV FOX 62 to refuse to air the ads “to protect the integrity of Rhode Island’s campaign finance and disclosure systems.”

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The Latino Victory Fund, an American progressive initiative founded in 2014 by Henry R. Muñoz III and actress Eva Longoria, denies it violated R.I. campaign laws. The fund told multiple media outlets it plans to comply with the 24-hour disclosure requirement, stating the ads purchased on Sept. 2 were not scheduled to air until Tuesday.

The ad, titled “Who’s Worse?” is scheduled to air through the Sept. 13 primary, on broadcast television in both English and Spanish. If elected, Gorbea would be the first Puerto Rican-born governor in the United States mainland.

“We are confident that we have complied fully and timely with our reporting obligations under Rhode Island law,” Latino Victory Fund managing director Yvonne Gutierrez said in a statement. “On Friday, Sept. 2, our vendor sent an initial media buy proposal to several stations to begin the process of reserving air time for an independent expenditure ad in support of Nellie Gorbea for Governor.”

In a statement, the Gorbea campaign called on all outside groups to follow the state’s campaign laws.

“State law requires outside groups … to file the necessary reports within 24 hours of when they spend money this close to an election,” Gorbea’s campaign said.

According to the WPRI/RWU poll released in August, McKee had a narrow lead in the Democratic gubernatorial primary over Gorbea, with many undecided voters. McKee gained 28% of the approximately 400 likely Democratic primary voters who were polled from Aug. 7-10 by polling firm Fleming & Associates. McKee led Gorbea by three percentage points.

Former CVS Health Corp. executive Helena B. Foulkes received 14% of the poll vote, while former R.I. Secretary of State Matt Brown received 8% of the poll vote. Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz garnered just 1% of the vote, while 21% were unsure who they’ll vote for on Sept. 13.