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A group of disgruntled Republicans have asked whether Texas Governor Greg Abbott used his political influence to remove a TV ad criticizing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a statement on Sunday, the Lincoln Project learned that the ad, Abbott’s Wall, was being pulled just 10 minutes before it aired on ESPN during a nationally televised football game between the University of Texas and Rice University on Saturday night. .
The 60-second slot, which Project Lincoln cost $ 25,000 and was approved by ESPN lawyers, accuses the Republican governor of more than 60,000 Covid deaths in the state, amid images of the wall southern border of the United States.
“If Governor Abbott wants to build a new wall, tell him to stop building this one,” the post said, showing a wall built from coffins.
The wood of the coffins of all the victims of Covid-19 in Texas are said to stretch for 85 miles, according to the advertisement. It remains visible on YouTube.
“We were told it was a ‘decision by the university'” to withdraw the announcement, the Lincoln Project said in a press release. “Did Greg Abbott or his allies assert any political influence to make sure the ad didn’t get on the air? “
Abbott is a University of Texas alumnus and appoints its board members, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The newspaper said neither Abbott nor university officials responded to requests for comment. Neither the governor nor the university immediately responded to the Guardian’s messages.
The Lincoln Project was formed by Republican activists and strategists under the Trump administration. He backed Joe Biden in the 2020 election and continued to attack allies of the former president.
Last week, the group blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump loyalist tipped to run for the Republican presidential nomination for 2024, as “America’s worst governor.”
The Lincoln Project faced its own controversy. In February, for example, he distanced himself from co-founder John Weaver, who allegedly made sexual advances to men as young as 14.
On Sunday, the group said it intended to file a public registration application with the University of Texas to see if Abbott’s office influenced the decision to withdraw the ad.
“Instead of focusing on the task of protecting Texans from the coronavirus pandemic, it appears Abbott and his advisers are spending their time and energy censoring their political opponent,” a statement read.
“We’re not done with Governor Abbott.”
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