Ohio State Bar: 'Rapist' ad violates Justice Cupp's pledge

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state bar association says Ohio Supreme Court Justice Robert Cupp must go beyond distancing himself from an ad accusing his opponent of sympathizing with rapists, and publicly demand the Ohio Republican Party take it off the air.

In a strongly worded letter today, Maxine Thomas — chairwoman of the Ohio State Bar Association’s advertising monitoring committee — told Justice Cupp the ad violates his clean-campaign pledge and harms the integrity of the judicial system.

The panel made the determination at a meeting Thursday. The spot, paid for by the state GOP, states that Bill O’Neill, a Democrat seeking to unseat Cupp, “expressed sympathy for rapists” as an appellate judge.

Justice Cupp released a statement calling the ad inappropriate Wednesday — the day it was unveiled at Republican headquarters.