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An ad made by John Liu's campaign is airing on radio stations courtesy of the Correctional Officers' Benevolent Association, which spent more than $200,000 to buy air time. The union president says they copied the ad without the campaign's knowledge.

A new radio ad bankrolled by an influential city union for mayoral candidate John Liu is raising eyebrows among government watchdogs who warn that it could set a dangerous precedent.

The powerful ad features New York children, including Liu’s 12-year-old son, Joey, endorsing him in the mayor’s race.

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“On Sept. 10, vote for my dad,” Joey says in a minute-long spot in which three high school students also appear, calling the city controller a “friend” who will revamp the education system.

What’s unusual about the ad is that it was made by the Liu campaign — but is airing on radio stations courtesy of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, which spent more than $200,000 to buy airtime.

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Unions are allowed to spend their own money to support candidates as long as they don’t collaborate directly with campaigns. If they do collaborate, their funds are considered campaign contributions and limited to $4,950. The union says the ads are legal because they were copied off Liu’s website without his campaign’s knowledge. “There ain’t no coordination going on with us,” said union President Norman Seabrook, who said Liu found out about the ad with the rest of the public when it debuted Wednesday morning.

Chung Seto, a top Liu aide, said she was unaware the union had turned the Web clip into a radio spot.

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While it’s not clear if the unusual arrangement runs afoul of the law, Dick Dadey of the Citizens Union good-government group warned that it could undermine laws designed to limit the influence of big money in politics.

“If one can do it successfully, then others will be able to do it and that’s problematic, because it will undermine the public financing system in New York,” he said.

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Liu is struggling with campaign spending after the Campaign Finance Board this month denied him $3.5 million due to fund-raising irregularities.

Title:
City union works around campaign law for mayoral candidate John Liu, buying $200,000 worth of air time