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North Carolina Chamber IE Responds to False and Misleading Column in Greensboro News & Record

To: Doug Clark
Greenboro News & Record
Saturday, April 26, 2014

Your column titled “Koch brothers’ money washes into North Carolina Supreme Court race,” is wildly inaccurate. We demand a full retraction of this column and an immediate apology.

Here is a brief list of your inaccurate statements:

  • The North Carolina Chamber IE spent $450,000 on TV ads for Supreme Court candidates Jeanette Doran and Eric Levinson.
  • Donations made to the North Carolina Chamber IE are affiliated with an “attack ad.”
  • North Carolina Chamber IE is affiliated with Justice for All North Carolina.
  • The North Carolina Chamber IE and it’s political action committee are the same.

Here are the facts:

  • The North Carolina Chamber IE spent $250,000 on POSITIVE ads for Supreme Court candidates Jeanette Doran and Eric Levinson. All expenditures are clearly documented and filed with the Board of Elections.
  • North Carolina Chamber IE is not affiliated with Justice for All North Carolina.
  • North Carolina Chamber IE is not in any way affiliated with an “attack ad.”
  • North Carolina Chamber IE and North Carolina Chamber PAC are two separate organizations with separate boards and decision makers. Activity of these groups is not coordinated.

Mr. Clark, these statements are so widely inaccurate, we consider them libelous and slanderous.

The North Carolina Chamber IE follows its mission to support candidates for elective office who are aligned with the beliefs of North Carolina Chamber members. The bottom line is that the North Carolina Chamber decided to be as transparent as possible by putting our name on the IE, keeping advertising positive and disclosing every detail of our efforts. The facts are readily available.

In summary, we demand a complete retraction of your inaccurate column and an immediate apology for making these libelous and slanderous statements.

Gary Salamido
Vice President of Government Affairs, North Carolina Chamber
Manager, North Carolina Chamber IE