Creator of controversial PS election ad plans to re-release it

“Palm springs is under a dark cloud,” says an ominous voice as a lightning bolt strikes over Palm Springs City Hall.

That’s the opening of a political attack ad making headlines in the race for Palm Springs City Council.

The ad takes aim at two incumbents: Ginny Foat, who is running for Mayor, and Paul Lewin, who is running to re-claim his council seat.

The ad was created by the “Committee to Clean House.”

It’s a committee of one: video producer Kevin McVey, who bought the ad time under the name “Zachary Beckett.”

McVey didn’t want us to show his face on camera, but says the ads were a response to the FBI’s corruption probe into city hall.

“Somebody needed to stand up and say something about it as a citizen and maybe I didn’t go about it the right way.”

McVey’s comment refers to his recent public denial of having any relation to a Zachary Beckett.

McVey says he denied the name because he was hired a few months ago to produce political ads for mayoral candidate Robert Moon’s campaign. But, McVey says he (referring to McVey) paid for the ad himself and didn’t want it in any way tied to his temporary job for Moon.

“We contracted for a certain number of videos which are now airing on TV. Rob is a very positive guy and would never make an ad like this one,” McVey said.

Moon condemned the ad in a public statement saying:
“There is no place in our political discourse for baseless innuendos and attacks whether they come directly from candidates, their surrogates, or third parties with their own agenda.”

Foat and Lewin didn’t respond to our requests for comment on the ad.

Monday morning, McVey pulled the ads from TV and the web after his private information was posted to a Facebook politics page. He said shortly afterward, he received a series of threatening phone calls.

“One of the phone calls said we know where you live and we’re gonna come get you. That kind of freaked me out.”

But McVey says the overwhelming response has been positive and the handful of negative reactions are “fueling the fire” for him.

McVey plans to re-release the ads after filing paperwork to officially form his “Committee to Clean House” with the Fair Political Practices Commission.

“I stand by this ad 100 percent,” McVey said. “All this ad says is there is a dark cloud in Palm Springs and when the FBI raids City Hall I think you can safely say there’s a dark cloud.”