Dark Money, Attack Ads & Why Billionaires Spend Big on Advertising in PA
Political commercials are everywhere in Pennsylvania right now, to the tune of more than $430 million so far. So who’s paying for all of this, and why are they pouring so much of that money into Pittsburgh’s media market? We’re with PublicSource’s Charlie Wolfson talking about the men and masks behind the money, plus his series with WESA tracking whether the claims made in the ads themselves even hold up.
Charlie’s “Spot Check” series will publish most Thursdays leading up to the November election. He also tracked many of the billionaires and concealed donors who’ve flooded Pittsburgh screens with attack ads, and helps explain how their ads differ from those explicitly endorsed by candidates and their parties.
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