Jeff Mullen's Newspaper-Like Mailer Draws Complaint From Clive Resident

A newspaper-like advertisement for a Dallas County Senate candidate is drawing ire from one Clive resident who says it's misleading.

According to an article on the Des Moines Register's website, Bob Simons of Clive has filed a complaint with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board alleging that an advertisement produced by Senate GOP candidate Jeff Mullen's campaign violates attribution statement requirements.

The advertisement was sent to constituents in Senate District 22 over the weekend and is styled much like a newspaper including a masthead, photos, feature stories and even a cartoon in its design.

Simons' complaint says the attribution - only printed on the back page of the mailer - is insufficient. He says the attribution should be printed on all pages, multiple times. 

According to the article, Megan Tooker, the board’s director, said she wasn’t sure if the ad violated any attribution laws. Mullen says it did not.

Iowa law requires that groups or individuals who pay for political ads be identified. If an investigation finds Mullen in violation, he could be fined as much as $2,000 and be required to run a clarification in local newspaper.

Mullen is running against Sen. Pat Ward for the Senate District 22 seat. Ward, who currently represents Senate District 21, and Mullen, pastor of the Point of Grace Church in Waukee have been locked in a contentious battle over the seat for months. The winner of today's primary will face Democrat Desmund Adams in November.