(ReclaimingAmerica.net)- Revealing the truth behind the push for an ABC-hosted presidential debate, columnist Beth Brelje slammed the network for what she described as an illegal campaign contribution to Kamala Harris during the event.
An investigative journalist and elections correspondent herself, Brelje argued that the debate seemed more like a means to donate to Harris’ campaign than an actual debate.
In terms of advertising, Brelje explained how valuable airtime is, especially during debates.
“A 30-second commercial in the February Super Bowl cost $7 million. CBS charged $225,000 for a half-minute ad during a 2016 debate between former President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,” she explained.
“CNN sold ad packages for the June 27 debate between Trump and President Joe Biden for a minimum of $1.5 million per package, which included two 30-second ads, plus a few online ads,” she added.
She estimated that if a 30-second ad slot costs a “lowball” amount of $225,000, then the entire 90-minute debate could be seen as contributing at least $40.5 million to the Harris campaign in terms of exposure.
Brelje argued that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) could consider this kind of support an “in-kind contribution,” a term used for non-monetary campaign contributions.
It might also be categorized as “coordinated communication” or “independent expenditure,” both of which have implications under campaign finance law.
Brelje believes that ABC’s actions should be scrutinized not only by the FEC for potentially exceeding contribution limits and violating bans on corporate contributions but also by the Federal Communications Commission, which mandates equal opportunities for all candidates in federal elections.
As for the debate, Brelje detailed how ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis supported Harris by interrupting and overshadowing Trump, even stepping in to rebut on Harris’ behalf during a discussion on abortion.
She pointed out that this was beyond what was expected of a debate moderator and noted both moderators’ histories of supporting Democratic viewpoints.
Brelje also criticized the moderators for ignoring significant issues like the economy and the attempted assassination of Trump, focusing instead on topics like the events of January 6, 2021.
She suggested that by not addressing these other important topics, the moderators displayed a bias.
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