Broadcasters Stand Firm Against Rehberg Lawsuit

Officials with the Montana Broadcasters Association said Wednesday that news stations cannot refuse to air a campaign ad that’s come under fire from Denny Rehberg and his team of attorneys.

KULR-8 in Billings reported Wednesday that Montana Broadcasters President and CEO Greg MacDonald said stations cannot refuse to air the “Millionaire” ad since it “meets all of the standards required by law.”

“The only exception to that are should there be obscenity, should there be anything within the spot that incites an unlawful act, other than that the station is simply required by federal law to carry the spot,” Greg MacDonald told KULR-8.

Rehberg, who has long sought to end frivolous lawsuits, threatened to sue Montana news stations if they didn’t remove the ad, arguing that it contains false allegations.

Rehberg is also suing Billings firefighters, a fact the ad referred to.

That lawsuit, the Billings Gazette reported Wednesday, sits idle in Yellowstone County District Court nearly four months later.

An attorney defending the city against the Rehberg lawsuit admitted there may be a “political portion” to the decision by Rehberg and his lawyers to not immediately move forward with the litigation.

“Rehberg is trying to tell Montanans the new TV ad is not true, so does that mean he wants us to believe he wasn’t involved in a boating accident last summer on Flathead Lake?” said Martin Kidston, spokesman for the Montana Democratic Party. “Is he saying he never really filed a lawsuit after his wildfire? Is his memory that short?”