New York City

MTA moves to ban all political ads

April 24, 2015 Associated Press
Will the MTA ban political ads? AP Photo/The New York Times, Michael Appleton, Pool
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New York City transit agency lawyers are telling a judge who ordered the authority to display a controversial bus ad that it will vote on a plan to ban all political advertisements.

The MTA’s letter was sent to Judge John Koeltl on Friday. The judge had ordered the MTA to accept a pro-Israel advocacy group’s political advertisement containing the phrase “Hamas Killing Jews” because it is protected speech.

MTA lawyer Peter Sistrom says the agency has long considered revising its advertising policy. He says the planned vote was not a hasty reaction to Koeltl’s ruling.

The American Freedom Defense Initiative had sued so the ad could be displayed.

Its lawyer David Yerushalmi says the ban is “poorly conceived.” He says the MTA cannot wish away a constitutional violation.

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