The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Email:,press@credoaction.com

CREDO Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Judicial Crisis Network over Kavanaugh Ads

WASHINGTON

CREDO Mobile has sent a letter (PDF) to the Judicial Crisis Network regarding its television advertisements featuring footage of me, CREDO Action Co-Director Josh Nelson, being arrested protesting the Senate Judiciary Committee's Sept. 4 confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The letter insists that the Judicial Crisis Network immediately "take down, discontinue, and refrain from any further posting or broadcasting of any and all videos using any footage of Mr. Nelson, including but not limited to the videos at the links above; and cease and refrain from making any further false, misleading, or disparaging statements regarding Mr. Nelson."

The letter continues:

"It has come to Credo's attention that JCN has been broadcasting advertisements across the United States, including but not limited to on television in West Virginia and North Dakota, which include footage of Mr. Nelson coupled with statements that portray him in a false light and damage his reputation and, by association, the reputation of Credo and Working Assets."
"Specifically, in the first five seconds of the advertisements, they show footage of Mr. Nelson on the right-hand side of the screen, as shown below, with a voiceover saying, "the liberal mob and their media allies tried to ruin a good man with smears."

"It is clear from the advertisements that JCN is characterizing Mr. Nelson as a member of the so-called "liberal mob," and is thereby accusing Mr. Nelson of participating in a scheme to make false accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh in an effort to damage his reputation. Such characterization of Mr. Nelson grossly misrepresents the views Mr. Nelson is expressing in the footage, it is highly offensive, and it is clearly intended to injure Mr. Nelson's reputation and portray him in a false or misleading light."

The full letter can be found here: https://d2omw6a1nm6pnh.cloudfront.net/images/CREDO_Letter_to_Judicial_Crisis_Network_.pdf

CREDO has waged a full court press in opposition to Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. Highlights include:

  • Hundreds of thousands of CREDO members have signed petitions and tens of thousands more have made phone calls to key Senate offices.
  • CREDO vice presidents Trish Tobin and Josh Nelson were arrested disrupting Brett Kavanaugh's Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on September 4.
  • CREDO conducted polling in Maine, Alaska and New York showing strong public opposition to Kavanaugh.
  • CREDO drafted and spearheaded a September 7 letter signed by more than a dozen leading progressive groups urging Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately unite all Senate Democrats in opposition.
  • From September 4-6, CREDO's mobile billboard circulated on Capitol Hill to make clear that it is Sen. Chuck Schumer's job to unite all Senate Democrats in opposition to Kavanaugh.

CREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of over five million activists, sending tens of millions of petition signatures and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to decision-makers each year. CREDO Action members also participate in meetings, protests and other direct action for progressive change.