After we posted Loon-Kihne: Via Civis Communications, Minnesota Family Council made $11,764 Comcast media buy, a reader sent us images of the full-page newspaper ad that the Minnesota Family Council bought in the Eden Prairie News (seen above) and two mailings from the group,which is a 501(c)(4) organization.
The materials related to the Republican primary between incumbent Jenifer Loon and challenger Sheila Kihne. Neither candidate is endorsed by the MNGOP.
According to a page on the MFC's website, the MFC is "an issue advocacy organization."
And while the ad and the pieces below tell voters that Kihne is a "trusted conservative" and when the primary is, they don't actually tell voters to vote for Kihne. Issue mailings and ad--or "expressed advocacy"?
Whatever the case, it does look like the MFC is spending some coin on this race. We'll call the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board after the Independence Day holiday to find out if these expenditures toe the legal line in Minnesota.
Mailing number #1
Mailing #2:
Mailing #2, close up of source information:
For more on these sorts of communications, see the January 2014 Star Tribune op-ed piece by George Beck, Close the loophole on electioneering communications.
Photos: Communications about one candidate in the Minnesota House District 48B from the Minnesota Family Council.
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Related post: Loon-Kihne: Via Civis Communications, Minnesota Family Council made $11,764 Comcast media buy,
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