Haley Campaign Demands Iowa Station Stop Airing Attack Ad

Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, on Jan. 11, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Haley campaign sent a warning letter to at least one Iowa television station demanding the removal of an attack ad funded by a group tied to the DeSantis campaign.

The Jan. 8 letter obtained by The Epoch Times requests Sioux City, Iowa, ABC affiliate KCAU to stop broadcasting an attack ad purchased by Fight Right Inc.

The letter, signed by Michael Adams of Atlanta-based law firm Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman LLC, is addressed to station managers and says airing an advertisement containing “blatantly false and misleading statements” about former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley violates the station’s public trust and could result in loss of a station’s license.

“Your station cannot violate the public trust you are federally mandated to uphold.” Mr. Adams wrote in the letter. “If you do, you can expect to be held accountable.”

Mr. Adams was deputy chief privacy and civil liberties officer at the U.S. Department of Justice during the George W. Bush administration. He served as the general counsel to the Republican Governor’s Association from 2007 to 2019.

It is not clear whether the letter was sent to just KCAU or all stations in Iowa that accepted a contract with Fight Right. The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Adams and representatives of the Haley campaign but did not receive a reply by press time.

An official at KCAU confirmed the station received the letter.

Fight Right is a super PAC linked to Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to its Jan. 6 disclosure statement with the Federal Election Commission, it has spent more than $9.1 million on media placements since its formation on Nov. 16, 2023. Most of the material concerns Ms. Haley, Mr. DeSantis, and former President Donald Trump.

The Epoch Times previously reported that Fight Right works in concert with Never Back Down Inc. Never Back Down is Mr. DeSantis’ main super PAC. Fight Right, according to Federal Communications Commission disclosures, has ordered about $642,000 worth of ads with KCAU.

Across Iowa, Fight Right purchased about $8 million worth of advertising time on the affiliates of the four major networks—ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC—since November, according to federal records.

The letter alleges the ad is making statements that are “demonstrably false” about Ms. Haley’s stances on transgender issues. Mr. Adams said the Fight Right ad uses “deceptive, selective editing” to intentionally mischaracterize Ms. Haley’s past remarks on the subject.

Mr. Adams said the ad represents a “substantial and immediate harm” to Ms. Haley and her campaign for the Republican party’s presidential nomination.

“With the Republican presidential caucus just a week away, we further ask that you act on this promptly,” Mr. Adams wrote.

Battling For Second Place

Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis are stepping up attacks against each other ahead of the Jan. 15 Republican Party of Iowa’s caucus. On Jan 10, the pair squared off in a testy debate where they both accused each other of lying.

Both Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis trail President Trump by a wide margin in Iowa polling. Two polls published on Jan. 11 found them both well behind President Trump.

An Iowa State University and Civiqs poll found 55 percent of likely Republican caucusgoers intended to vote for President Trump. Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis were tied at 14 percent. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy had 8 percent support.

A Suffolk University poll determined that 54 percent of Iowans who will likely participate in the primary contest plan to back President Trump. Trailing him were Ms. Haley with 22 percent support, Mr. DeSantis with 13 percent, and Mr. Ramaswamy with 6 percent.