A coalition of attorneys general urges Paramount Global and CBS to block Super Bowl ads from Chinese companies that appear to use forced labor to make products, according to an exclusive letter obtained by The Daily Caller. ing.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with five other state attorneys general, spoke to the media on Saturday about Thame Inc.'s alleged spending of $15 million on advertising during the Feb. 11 CBS Super Bowl broadcast. We asked for your cooperation in not posting advertisements.The Chinese Communist Party's House of Representatives Special Committee charges that the company illegally uses forced labor to manufacture its products. report The letter, obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller, says Tem does not have any systems in place to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. (Related: Biden to avoid prime-time Super Bowl interview for second year in a row: Report)
“We wrote this letter to CBS to prevent it from airing Tem's Super Bowl commercial. Congressional investigators believe that Tem was coerced in areas of China where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is committing genocide. “We believe that we are illegally selling products manufactured using labor,” the letter states. “CBS should not promote a company that profits from forced labor and genocide during America's biggest game.”
Knudsen will also be joined by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Byrd, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. sent a letter.
Lawmakers also accuse Temu's parent company, PDD Holdings, of having ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the letter said. A coalition of Republican lawmakers sent a similar letter Thursday, obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller, to Paramount Global and CBS, asking them to remove Tem's ads from their broadcasts.
Sources close to the matter previously told the Daily Caller that all Paramount Global listings comply with U.S. laws and regulations as well as the company's standards.
AG’s letter to CBS Re Temu 2.10.24 (1) by Daily Caller News Foundation On Scribd
The attorney general said in the past that CBS and the National Football League have rejected “less controversial” ads, the letter said. One ad was for a veteran-owned clothing company and was narrated by a Benghazi survivor, according to the letter. CBS has previously rejected ads touting the benefits of medical marijuana, the letter said.
The Super Bowl draws millions of viewers each year, and advertising space is highly coveted by businesses. In 2023, Super Bowl viewership hit an all-time high, making it the most-watched television broadcast in history. according to To Nielsen.
“The Super Bowl has come to commemorate one of the most patriotic moments in sports. In January 1981, the giant yellow bow of the Louisiana Superdome was a symbol of the lives of Americans who had been taken hostage by Iran five days earlier. “We celebrated our return. Ten years later, Whitney Houston sang her iconic rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, just 10 days after Operation Desert Storm began,” the letter reads.
“The New England Patriots won the first Super Bowl since 9/11. And every year, the Super Bowl features footage of American servicemen and women watching the game from the front lines around the world,” the letter continued. ing.
“Given Temu's virtual guarantee that it sells products made with forced labor in China and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party, CBS should not air Temu's commercials during the Super Bowl. America People have a right to better,” the attorney general concluded.
