U.S. Congressman Tom Davis has called for hearings into the huge discount the New York Times gave to the left-wing group MoveOn.org for its ad that referred to General David Petraeus as “General Betray Us.”
In a letter to the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the Virginia Republican wrote: “The discount for political advertising could constitute an unlawful campaign contribution.”
Last week the New York Post revealed that the Times charged MoveOn only $65,000 for the full-page ad, while the “open rate” for such an ad is $181,000, according to the Times.
Davis wrote: “The difference between the ‘open rate’ and the actual rate paid by MoveOn.org raises the possibility that the New York Times, as a media company not subject to campaign finance restrictions for its own message, unlawfully subsidized the message of MoveOn.org by giving it a discounted rate for its advertisement.”
The ad in the main news section of the Times accused Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House."
Presidential hopeful Rudi Giuliani called the ad a "character assassination" of Petraeus.
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