Pa. AG candidate Kane calls for end to super PAC ad she calls unfair to opponent Freed

The race for attorney general in Pennsylvania continues to take some interesting turns.

Democratic candidate Kathleen Kane is calling for a super PAC to take down an ad against her Republican opponent David Freed. Kane says the ad is misleading and unfair.

Political consultant Larry Ceisler says this is just another chapter in the use of money from independent or third-party groups. He says independent ads often are far tougher than those launched by the candidates’ campaign.

“You have these third parties out there and they have a stake in these elections and they get frustrated,” he said. “They just aren’t playing hardball.”

Role reversal

Last month, Kane was the target of an independent ad accusing her of being soft on crime as a prosecutor.

Terry Madonna of Franklin & Marshall College says it’s more and more common for the toughest ads to come from independents, not the campaign. But he says they can backfire.

“Sometimes they hurt because independent sources cite their lack of authenticity, their lack of truthfulness,” he said. “And they can create a potential issue for a candidate.”