Christine Quinn hasn’t just denied the claims in an attack ad accusing her of making backroom decisions and betraying liberal causes; lawyers for her campaign on Monday sent an ominous letter to Time Warner Cable and Cablevision asking the companies to remove the spot from its broadcasts. The campaign’s letter reminds them that unlike ads approved by candidates, the cable companies are not required to air ads by outside political groups. “As such, your station need not air the subject ad. If you choose to do so, however, your station bears responsibility for its content.” There’s no overt threat, but the letter reminds the stations they could lose their licenses for broadcasting false information.
The 30-second spot was produced by a group called NYC Is Not For Sale, comprised of Local 1180 of the Communications Workers of America, Hugo Neu Corp. chief executive Wendy Kelman Neu, and the anti-horse-drawn-carriage group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets. It paints Quinn as a backroom deal-maker who sold out her progressive values.
“On the issues New Yorkers care most about, she is always on the wrong side. On living wage, paid sick leave, and term limits,” the ad states. Quinn’s letter to Time Warner points out she passed the living wage law. But, writes NY1’s Josh Robin, “she delayed the vote and passed a watered-down version.”
Time Warner wrote back to Quinn’s campaign to say it had asked NYC Is Not For Sale for “substantiation supporting the claims contained in the spot.” For now, however, the ad remains on the air.
