FRIENDSWOOD, TX – Bob Smither, the Libertarian nominee for United States Congress in District 22, has called on Democratic candidate Nick Lampson to stop using a misleading campaign advertisement.  The ad in question erroneously suggests that Lampson is an incumbent United States Congressman while touting his past work on child safety.

Smither, making his first run for elected office, is an electrical engineer from Friendswood, Texas.  Smither and his wife co-founded the Friendswood-based Laura Recovery Center for missing children, a non-profit organization that educates families, communities, and law enforcement about missing children and assists in searches for abducted children.

Lampson’s advertisement features an old endorsement from John Walsh of TV’s “America’s Most Wanted,” apparently recycled from a previous campaign when Lampson was the incumbent representative from a neighboring congressional district in Beaumont.  The commercial is posted on Lampson’s website (http://ga3.org/lampson/walsh_support_fbn.html).

It is also featured in paid banner ads that appear on local political websites.  Neither advertisement gives any indication that Walsh’s message is from a previous campaign. Lampson lost his bid for reelection two years ago, and is no longer an incumbent congressman.  He moved into the 22nd District last year to challenge then-incumbent Republican Tom DeLay.

The current advertisement repeatedly identifies Lampson as a “Congressman” and erroneously implies that he is the incumbent.

Examples:
- The text “Congressman Nick Lampson” appears on the screen throughout the ad.

- The ad asks voters to “Keep him [Lampson] in Washington,” implying that he is an incumbent.

- Lampson is quoted identifying himself: “I’m Congressman Nick Lampson.”

In a letter to Lampson, Smither asked the Lampson campaign to immediately remove this misleading information from his website until suitable changes or disclaimers are added to clarify and more accurately represent candidacy to the voters.  Smither also asked Lampson to immediately pull or modify the accompanying banner ad from any websites where it appears.