Did This Anti-Hillary Ad Go Too Far?

When it comes to political attack ads, how far is too far? That’s the question many are asking after an anti-Hillary Clinton group ran a TV ad featuring the gravestone of Libyan Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who died in the 2012 attack on the American embassy in Benghazi. The Stop Hillary PAC’s ad, called “I’d Like to Ask,” features a series of questions about her response to the attack in Benghazi along with photos of each one of the victims. The final shot is a black and white still of the grave of Ambassador Stevens. “Dear Hillary Clinton, I’d like to ask you why you ignored calls for help in Benghazi and then four Americans were murdered,” a narrator’s voice asks. “I’d like to know why you lied, saying the attack was a response to an Internet video. I’d like to hear why you tried to silence the Benghazi whistleblower. But Mrs. Clinton, I can’t. What difference does it make?” According to ABC News, the group spent more than $100,000 to air the ad in major cities in swing states and early-voting states such as Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire. It also spent an additional $25,000 for digital ads. Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon tweeted about the ad on Tuesday, calling it “disgusting.”

When asked if the ad goes too far, Stop Hillary PAC’s counsel Dan Backer told ABC News, "I think the awful way Hillary Clinton treated the mother of a Benghazi victim went too far,” referring to allegations from the mother of a victim on CNN last week. “Stop Hillary PAC was created for one reason only — to ensure Hillary Clinton never becomes president of the United States,” Backer said in a statement. The Republican-controlled Congress has been doggedly investigating Benghazi for years — Hillary Clinton will testify next week at the House's 21st hearing on the tragedy. The Republicans calling for the hearings have been accused of partisanship after they turned attention to Clinton’s email server. Watch the Stop Hillary PAC video below: