Moore’s lawyers try to block anti-redistricting ads that mimic his slogan, colors

Wes Moore’s legal team is pushing back against a political action committee using pictures of the Maryland governor, his slogan and his campaign’s colors to advocate against a redistricting ballot question.

It has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Truth for Maryland PAC, saying the group’s TV ad and website are “a cynical ploy” to misinform voters. The letter demands the ads and website be taken down by Thursday.

Moore, a Democrat, has been a chief proponent of redistricting and the statewide ballot measure, known as Question 3. The ballot question could be the most contested item of Maryland’s general election, with polls showing voters divided and political groups spending for and against the issue.

Moore’s lawyers sent the letter to Andrew Brightwell, a Republican strategist who chairs the PAC, and Hugh Halloran, the group’s treasurer.

“Your committee has not been given permission (nor would it be given permission) to make these representations or use its logos and designs — they are not authorized by the Governor or the campaign, they are false, and a scam,” attorney David Mitrani of the D.C. firm Sandler Reiff wrote to the Truth for Maryland PAC. The sentence was bold, underlined and italicized.

The letter says that Truth for Maryland’s ad also “appears” to violate a new state law on election misinformation that lawyers have “referred” to state elections officials.

The Maryland law allows state elections officials to take action against people who deliberately spread false information about the time, place and manner of an election, election results or voting rights.

It also bans the use of deepfakes — manipulated pictures, audio or video — to influence voter decisions.

Brightwell dismissed the cease-and-desist letter as a misuse of the legal system.

“As an organization dedicated to re-electing Governor Wes Moore, we were deeply disappointed to receive such a threatening letter from his paid legal representation,” Brightwell wrote in a statement, calling it “weaponization of the legal system.”

Brightwell said his PAC is undeterred.

“Nevertheless, we remain steadfast in our support of our great governor and our commitment to end extreme partisan gerrymandering,” he wrote. “We will neither cease nor desist — we will persist.”

The Truth for Maryland PAC launched the ads and website on Tuesday, urging people to both vote “yes for Wes” and “against Question 3.” This week, Moore’s campaign shifted its own advertising away from promoting the governor and launched a pro-Question 3 ad with a $700,000 buy in the D.C. market.

The Moore campaign declined to comment on the cease-and-desist letter, saying it speaks for itself.

Question 3, if approved, would change the state constitution to make it easier for Democrats to gerrymander congressional boundaries. Some hope to oust Maryland’s sole Republican in Congress, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris.

Moore’s lawyer, in his letter, insists the new ad is an impermissible attempt at misinforming voters about the governor’s position on Question 3.

“It has come to the attention of the Governor and the Campaign that your committee is disseminating communications that are attempting to trick individuals into believing that Governor Moore is opposing Question 3 — while in actuality he supports Question 3,” the letter reads.

The wording of the ad does not directly give Moore’s position on Question 3. The narrator says Marylanders “make up our own minds” and that gerrymandering is wrong, set against a backdrop of pictures of President Donald Trump.

The ad transitions to pictures of Moore smiling, and the narration continues: “Gov. Moore fights for every Marylander. Let’s do the same. Vote yes for Wes and against Question 3. Together, we’ll leave no one behind.”

“Leave no one behind,” borrowed from the military, has been Moore’s slogan since his first run for governor in 2022.

The ad and companion website use a blue-and-yellow color scheme and a slanted font that are similar to those that Moore’s campaign uses.

The cease-and-desist letter contains a table outlining similarities, such as the degree of slant on the logo’s wording (7 degrees for the Moore campaign, 7.02 degrees for Truth for Maryland) and codes for the purplish-blue color used by both (#1F0280 for Moore, #1F0180 for Truth for Maryland.)

“You do not have permission to use the Governor’s name, likeness, photos, and other information for any purpose whatsoever. You do not have permission to use the Campaign’s branding and designs. You must cease doing so immediately,” the letter reads.

Using another candidate’s or politician’s picture is a tried-and-true technique in political advertising, with candidates often choosing unflattering pictures of their opponents or shifting the pictures to black and white for dramatic effect. Moore’s campaign, for example, has used pictures of Republican opponent Dan Cox in ads.