"Candidate’s appearance in PAC ad may push limits of ethics law "

[mainegreen]

Toeing the line or crossing over?
By Steve Mistler

BRUNSWICK – The TV commercial paid for by a national political action committee seems straightforward: An Iraq War veteran condemns U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ support of the war.

But the veteran is a Democratic candidate for the Legislature, which raises questions about whether his appearance exploits a loophole in – or possibly violates – state election laws.

The candidate, Alex Cornell du Houx, is in a three-way race for the House District 66 seat. He appears in a political ad sponsored by VoteVets.org, attacking incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for her voting record on the Iraq War.

.....


“It’s an odd situation,” Franz said. “It’s this nexus for federal laws, state laws and campaign finance reform. If Republicans were able to make hay, or press, for this, it could make for an interesting debate. ... It’s excellent case study for what happens when a state politician gets involved in a federal race.”

Complete Story

Interesting.