Fact-check: Is Scott Milne violating campaign finance laws by appearing in ads for his company?

Brendan Fischer of the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign finance watchdog group, said questions about whether candidates seeking office can appear in ads for their businesses frequently come up at the federal level. Fischer said these cases rarely present a “super clear line” between an advertisement “that does not constitute a federal electioneering in communication and an ad that could be construed as promoting the person’s candidacy.” He said Milne’s ad occupied this “gray area.” Fischer said Milne opened the door to questions being raised by mentioning a “pressing public, or political issue,” referring to the Covid-19 pandemic. “The connection between the content of the ad to sort of pressing political issues, and the naming of the candidate himself could be factors that would be considered,” Fischer said. 

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