KTAR Accused Of Restricting Political Speech
A short political ad being run by KFYI and two other Valley area stations has been banned by another outlet, raising concerns by a well-known Arizona businessman that political speech is under attack.
On Tuesday, Jim Clark was interviewed by KFYI’s James T. Harris about the decision by KTAR to reject a pro-Kari Lake for Governor political ad Clark created around the theme “Is Katie Hobbs a Racist?”
Clark, who is CEO of Republic Monetary Exchange, makes it clear in the political ad that he is paying as a private citizen to run the ad. And it is his personal opinion, Clark says in the ad, that Hobbs is a racist, based in part on the “millions of dollars in jury awards against Secretary of State Katie Hobbs for discriminatory practices.”
That comment stems from a $2.7 million verdict against Hobbs and the Arizona Senate involving discrimination experienced by Talonya Adams, a policy advisor fired in 2015 by Hobbs in her role as State Senate Minority Leader. The actual payout on the $2.7 million jury award was capped under federal law at $300,000 plus attorney’s fees.
Continue reading at Arizona Daily Independent.