NBC 5 Takes Issue With Latest Branch Ad

A Fort Worth news station is taking issue with attorney general candiate Dan Branch's latest television ad, which relied almost exclusively on footage produced by the station.

The ad is almost entirely comprised of footage of an NBC 5 anchor discussing a reprimand that Branch's primary opponent, Ken Paxton, received from the State Securities Board for violating the Texas Securities Act. Branch, R-Dallas, and Paxton, R-McKinney will face each other in the runoff on May 27.

In a letter first published by NBC 5, the station's legal team disputed the way in which their news report had been converted into a political ad.

"KXAS objects to any use of its journalists and our copyrighted material that suggests to the public that we or our journalists are taking sides with any individual or organization involved in a political campaign or dispute, and we request that your organization respect that concern," the station's lawyer wrote.

He went on to request that the campaign cease any further dissemination of the commercial.