Star Tribune pulls 'Stop the Petters Scam' ads

The Star Tribune has pulled an unusual series of ads that a group calling itself the Stop the Petters Scam Foundation has been running in the newspaper.

The ads accuse prominent Twin Cities professionals of mismanaging Petters' assets since he was arrested last year.

Bill Hillsman of North Woods Advertising in Minneapolis, who has been directing the campaign, said that the Star Tribune told him the agency didn't fill out the required advocacy advertising application form, and that "the general counsel said there were a number of factual assertions made in the ads that they don't have the time and resources to review before publishing it."

He said the form releases the Star Tribune from responsibility for the ad content, and he agreed that his agency hadn't completed one.

Star Tribune spokesman Ben Taylor would only say that the newspaper decided the ads were "not acceptable."