Radio host calls pro-Jindal ad ‘outright lie’

• By MARK BALLARD
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 19, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Statewide talk show host Moon Griffon returned the money and refused to run a commercial that he says is an “outright lie” in its praise of Gov. Bobby Jindal for leading the effort to cut income taxes.

Griffon was one of Jindal’s most prominent conservative supporters during the gubernatorial campaign last year.

He said he ordered the commercial removed from his daily radio talk show and returned the check for about $3,750 because of erroneous claims that Jindal was behind the recently approved effort to cut personal income taxes by about $300 million.

“This group is telling a whopper. They’re saying the governor is doing something he didn’t do,” said Griffon, whose daily radio talk show runs in nine Louisiana markets with Gonzales being the closest to Baton Rouge.

“Gov. Jindal led the charge to cut the income taxes? That’s an outright lie,” he said.

The 60-second ad was produced by the group “Believe In Louisiana,” an organization headed by Baton Rouge publisher Rolfe McCollister Jr., who was treasurer of Jindal’s campaign. The group’s stated goal is to support Jindal and his programs.

Jindal refused comment Wednesday and referred questions to McCollister.

McCollister refused an interview but said in a prepared statement that the commercial’s claims were accurate. “Moon Griffon was the only person to refuse the spot. I believe he let his personal feelings affect his judgment,” he stated in his emailed response.

But the sponsor of the tax-cutting Senate Bill 87, which is sitting on Jindal’s desk awaiting his signature or veto, said he was impressed that Griffon gave up money rather than run an untrue advertisement.

“Moon Griffon went way up in my estimation,” said state Sen. B.L. “Buddy” Shaw, R-Shreveport, on Wednesday.

Shaw said the commercial sounded like Jindal initiated and led the effort. “That was not the case,” Shaw said.

Shaw said, “The governor’s people were there to prevent it from coming out of the Senate committee. Then there was a major effort by the governor’s people to kill it on the Senate floor.”

SB87 passed the Senate. Jindal held a news conference backing the measure only when it appeared the House would approve it, Shaw said. Since then, the governor has been supportive, he said.