Dallas, TX – John Jay Myers, Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, has been excluded from participation in a key WFAA debate tomorrow in which Ted Cruz will participate. The Myers campaign staff filed a complaint with the FCC last week on the grounds that WFAA has based its candidate invitations on partisan favoritism rather than object considerations of newsworthiness.
When Mr. Myers inquired about the selection process, WFAA responded with 5 criteria used to determine the candidates invited to the debate, such as holding previous elected office or having “substantial” contributions from “varied sources”. The Myers campaign contends that the criteria lack objective standards, such as what constitutes “substantial” media coverage or contributions, and that WFAA has inconsistently applied the criteria by inviting candidates such as Ted Cruz, who does not meet all of the criteria himself. Myers states, “The metrics have no objective thresholds, and none of the candidates meet all of the standards. They claimed to be impartial, but without these specifics their criteria are meaningless, leaving the decision to be based solely on their own biases.”
John Jay Myers has achieved a great deal with his campaign. He has met the onerous ballot access requirements, received the Libertarian Party’s nomination, and been invited to another televised debate in October. To date, Myers has raised in excess of $13,000 in campaign contributions, which exceeds the Federal Elections Commission threshold to be considered a candidate, and the Myers staff believes that this demonstrates the popularity of the candidate. The campaign has proven its seriousness by producing thousands of dollars worth merchandise, and Mr. Myers has toured all over the state, having visited Central and East Texas in August, and having held a fundraiser in San Angelo just this past weekend.
Regardless of the outcome of the FCC complaint, John Jay Myers intends to fully respond to the other candidates on his Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/
CLICK HERE to download the PRESS RELEASE
CLICK HERE to download the FCC COMPLAINT