May 25, 2013
The Florida Elections Commission is trying to decide if a TV ad supporting Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride amounts to an illegal campaign contribution.
The commission said Friday it would review the ad.
That's a reversal from two weeks ago when the commission's attorney ruled there was no legal basis to a Republican Party complaint.
The TV spot was paid for by an organization set up by the Florida Education Association, the state's largest teachers union.
The state Republican Party said that if the ads are found to be illegal, they want McBride to come up with the estimated $1 million that they cost.
A McBride spokesman said the commission's attorney has made it clear that the teachers were exercising the First Amendment freedom of speech in running the ad.
