Anti-abortion group aims to overturn Ohio election law

Associated Press

TOLEDO

A national anti-abortion group blocked from putting up a billboard against a Democratic anti-abortion congressman from Ohio has asked a federal judge to overturn a state election law standing in its way.

The Susan B. Anthony List, based in Washington, D.C., filed the suit after the Ohio Election Commission ruled in favor of GOP-targeted, first-term Rep. Steve Driehaus. The commission said there was probable cause that the planned billboard includes false statements.

Driehaus was one of several anti-abortion Democrats in Congress whose votes sealed the passage of President Barack Obama’s health-care law, which abortion opponents argue promotes taxpayer-funded abortions. He has been the target of abortion opponents since the vote.

In its lawsuit, filed Monday, the anti-abortion group argues that the Ohio law barring false statements about a candidate’s voting record is vague and violates free speech. It also says the law is unconstitutional because it does not require the offended candidates to prove actual malice.

The group’s billboard says Driehaus voted for taxpayer-funded abortion by backing Obama’s health-care law. Driehaus said that was not true and filed the complaint with the commission before the billboards were scheduled to go up.

Meanwhile, the Susan B. Anthony List began a radio ad campaign Tuesday in Cincinnati, saying that Driehaus “voted for taxpayer funding of abortion,” repeating the message it wanted to put on the billboards.

Driehaus’ spokesman Tim Mulvey said the campaign is looking into legal options, including filing another complaint.

Driehaus is in a tough fight against Republican Steve Chabot, a six-term congressman whom Driehaus ousted two years ago in a conservative leaning-district that includes most of Cincinnati.

Republicans are feeling confident they will knock off Driehaus who has lost financial support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Fueled by opposition to the new federal health-care law, the Susan B. Anthony List has spent $3 million this fall on key congressional races.

The health-care overhaul will allow federally subsidized health-insurance plans to cover abortions starting in 2014, but only if policyholders pay for coverage separately and the money is segregated from government funds.