Group Asks Panel to Ban 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Ads

Group Asks Panel to Ban 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Ads
Thu Jun 24, 2004 04:33 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5508795&src=rss/topNews&section=news

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A conservative advocacy group asked a government 
agency on Thursday to bar ads for Michael Moore's controversial 
documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" on the grounds that they are 
"electioneering communications" restricted by federal campaign laws.

Citizens United said it filed a formal complaint to the Federal Election 
Commission against the planned advertising campaign by the distributors 
of the film, which is critical of President Bush's prosecution of the 
war in Iraq.

The group, which had participated in an unsuccessful court challenge 
against the campaign finance reform law enacted to reduce the influence 
of money in politics, said the act's restrictions against corporations 
engaging in political advertising close to an election should apply to 
Moore's film.

"Moore produced the work for use as a political weapon against President 
Bush in the November 2004 presidential election," the group said in its 
complaint.

Moore, who appeared at a news conference with members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus following the film's debut in Washington, 
said he "absolutely" will fight the complaint.

"For them to try and remove my ads from television because I want people 
to come see my movie -- it is a blatant attempt on the part of a right 
wing, Republican-sponsored group to stop people from seeing my movie," 
Moore said.

Moore said he was not a member of the Democratic party and has not 
publicly endorsed presumed Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry.

Federal election law prohibit companies and unions from advertising for 
or against political candidates 60 days before an election and 30 days 
before a political convention. The Democratic convention is set for late 
July and the Republican convention begins in late August.

Citizens United also said the ads would violate rules against foreigners 
engaging in U.S. election related ads. One of the film's distributors, 
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., is Canadian-based.

FEC spokesman George Smaragdis declined to comment on the complaint 
filed by Citizens United.

In an unrelated but similar case involving an Arizona nonprofit 
corporation, the FEC on Thursday issued an opinion saying its ads for a 
documentary on the bill of rights would fall under the election law 
restrictions against advertising.
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