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Jolly Calls for Ad With Fake Images to be Taken Down

DCCC ad shows fabricated images of Florida congressman with Trump

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, called "Imagine," contains doctored images showing Republican Rep. David Jolly with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. (DCCC)
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, called "Imagine," contains doctored images showing Republican Rep. David Jolly with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. (DCCC)

Republican Rep. David Jolly is demanding that TV stations stop airing an ad that shows fabricated images of him and his party’s presidential candidate Donald Trump. 

The Florida congressman, who represents the state’s 13th District, said he has never met Trump, and does not own the red and white tie that he’s shown wearing in the ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Tampa Bay Times reported. 

[The House: 10 Most Vulnerable]

The 30-second ad features several images that show Jolly standing next to Trump to make them appear close. But they’re all doctored, the newspaper said. 

Jolly has criticized Trump in the past, and has already declared that he won’t vote for the GOP nominee in November.

His lawyers sent out notices to local television stations telling them to stop airing the ad immediately because it portrays false and misleading representations. 

“Consider this as a notice that your station is currently airing a patently false advertisement,” lawyer Roger N. Beaubien wrote to an NBC affiliate in Tampa.

[Roll Call’s 2016 Election Guide: House]

In response, the DCCC told stations to continue airing the ad, which the committee pointed out has the word “dramatization” on screen whenever the fake photos appear. 

“It is clear from both the context of the ad and the accompanying disclaimer that the images are not real, but are used to depict what the future might look like if voters support Rep. Jolly’s candidacy. There is no risk of confusion on this point,” wrote DCCC lawyers Daniel Nudelman and Aria Branch.

The DCCC has reserved $1.5 million in the highly contested race on behalf of Democrat Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor.  

The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call rates the race as Leans Democraric.

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