GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Outside group-funded mailers—a campaign technique also known as “dark money”—is trickling down from the national level to the local level.
“Some of these advertisements are often times misleading. They include sources but they can be vague. it can require different research on the part of the person that might want to know more. And in some cases the comments can be just outright wrong or false,” Associate Professor of Political Science at UWGB David Helpap said.
Helpap explained outside parties, groups or businesses funding the ads could believe it’s an investment that might lead to local politics reaching the state or federal government.
The advertisements can create a challenge for candidates who do not approve the messages. Such is the case with district one in Green Bay where outside ads came into play.
Jennifer Grant edged incumbent Barb Dorff in that race.
In a statement, Grant said:
“When something negative like this comes in the mail, please know, it is normally never from one of the candidates. Ever,” Dorff said. “I hope it doesn’t continue, because good people will not want to run for local office. They won’t want to put themselves out there if they can see themselves smeared.”
Helpap believes the mailers can be false… and just downright wrong… but they are still legal.
He advises people to directly ask candidates any questions that pop up.
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