2013 Senate Bill 675

Revise crime of knowingly telling lies about a political candidate

Introduced in the Senate

Nov. 12, 2013

Introduced by Sen. John Pappageorge (R-13)

To revise a law which makes it a crime to disseminate statements about a politician who running for office, if one knows the statements are “false, deceptive, scurrilous, or malicious,” and if this is done without disclosing who is circulating the assertions. The bill would revise this to make it a crime to recklessly and intentionally “participate in the preparation, dissemination, or broadcast of paid political advertising or campaign material,” or a letter to the editor, about the “political or personal character or acts” of a politician running for office, or about a ballot question, if one knows its statements are false, and if it is “designed or tends to elect, injure, promote, or defeat a candidate or a ballot question”.

Referred to the Committee on Local Government and Elections