Ken Doyle for Bloomberg BNA:
Political ads on Facebook would have to carry disclaimers stating who paid for each ad, under a new draft advisory opinion set to be considered by the Federal Election Commission.Disclaimer requirements for online political ads have been uncertain since the FEC commissioners deadlocked in 2011 on an advisory opinion request in which Facebook Inc. asked for an exemption from disclaimer requirements….
The draft is expected to be considered by the FEC commissioners Dec. 14 at their last meeting of the year. Alternative drafts could be released before the meeting. At least four votes are required to approve any final ruling, and there are currently five commissioners, as one seat is vacant.The FEC also is working on a new regulation which could impose broad new disclaimer requirements on all online political ads. A draft rule is expected to be completed by FEC staff in the coming weeks, according to Ellen Weintraub, a Democratic FEC commissioner, who spoke at this week’s annual meeting of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws in Toronto.