politics

NARAL Faces Possible Conflict of Interest for Roberts Ad

By David Brody
Capitol Hill Correspondent

(CBN News) - WASHINGTON – There is more controversy involving the controversial new television ad put out by the abortion group NARAL about Supreme Court nominee John Roberts.

This time it involves cable news network CNN. They agreed to run the ad, but it appears that the cable news network may have a serious conflict of interest.

The ad at the center of the controversy gives the impression that Roberts condones violence at abortion clinics: "Supreme Court nominee John Roberts filed court briefs supporting violent fringe groups and a convicted clinic bomber…America can't afford a Justice whose ideology leads him to excuse violence against other Americans.”

Conservatives, along with even some pro-abortion groups, say the ad is false and that the clinic bombing shown in the ad happened seven years after Roberts filed the court brief to which the ad refers. Plus, the case involving Roberts did not deal with the bombing at all - he was arguing that abortion clinics that brought the suit had no right to use a certain law against the anti-abortion protesters.

In an interview on PBS years ago, Roberts made his position clear on this case. "What we did not do is take a position supporting the activities of the Operation Rescue protestors," Roberts explained.

Former Senator Fred Thompson has been handpicked by the President to usher Roberts’ Supreme Court nomination through. In an exclusive interview with CBN News, he weighed in on the controversy.

CBN NEWS: What was John Roberts’ reaction to that ad?

THOMPSON: He was pretty outraged about it. On the other hand, he doesn't think anyone ought to take it seriously.

CNN decided to run the ad. And they have been taking a lot of heat since.

We contacted them Thursday and they gave us this statement: “CNN accepts advocacy advertising from responsible groups from across the political spectrum who wish to express their views and their opinions about issues of public importance.”

A spokesman with the Republican National Committee (RNC) said they are troubled by CNN's actions.

RNC’s Danny Diaz commented, "I think they need to make a very serious and calculated decision about the fact that they're putting up an ad that is misleading and is false."

And now there may be another problem for CNN. The group Accuracy in Media has uncovered IRS documents that bring up a potential conflict of interest for the cable network.

Ted Turner founded CNN and is a current board member of Time Warner, the parent company that owns CNN.

CBN News has been given those IRS documents, and they show that Turner's private foundation donated 1.4 million dollars to NARAL in 2003.

"If that is true,” Diaz said, “I think that's something that obviously merits more review, more investigation and serious thought."

We called CNN for comment on that aspect of the story but so far, there has been no comment.

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