Melancon calls for Vitter to be investigated for fundraising letter

Rep. Charlie Melancon's (D-La.) campaign has asked the Senate Ethics Committee to look into a campaign fundraising letter from Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).
 
Melancon claims the letter was "designed to look like an official document," which could be a violation of federal law.
 
Vitter issued a statement denying the allegation.
 
The Vitter fundraising letter, released by the Melancon campaign, has a bald eagle crest at the top of the page and bears a likeness to the Great Seal of the United States. The wording "David Vitter, United States Senator, Republican-Louisiana" appears below the likeness. The letter does not contain Vitter's Senate office address, which is included in official Senate correspondence. In the pitch, Vitter writes that he needs campaign contributions to help defeat one of President Barack Obama's "favorite Democrats."
 
"I need your help to help to overcome all that money and defeat the Obama-Melancon team," Vitter wrote.
 
In a statement, Vitter said he had every right to send the letter.

"Charlie Melancon's arrogant allies who run this Congress don't own the rights to the eagle any more than the NFL owns the rights to 'Who Dat,'" Vitter said. "Right after Melancon quits the Budget Committee because he doesn't have time to fight the Obama budget, he's spending his time filing frivolous complaints."

Vitter added: "Funny, Charlie Melancon didn't file an ethics complaint when Barack Obama used an eagle seal in his presidential campaign."
 
Melancon's campaign stood by the charge.
 
"David Vitter doesn't think the rules or the law is applied to him, but our campaign will hold him accountable when he breaks them," said Bradley Beychok, who manages Melancon's Senate campaign.
 
Meanwhile, the race to fill Melancon's House seat is heating up.

Former state Senate candidate Jeff Landry (R) announced Tuesday he is officially running for the GOP nomination in Louisiana's 3rd district.
 
"Our country is in peril because our government is out of control, caused by a president and a Congress where free spending and liberal values rein, where the size of our government is growing as fast as our coast is eroding," he said in his opening remarks.

On the Democratic side, attorney Ravi Sangisetty is the only declared candidate in the race.

Candidates from both parties had been reluctant to run for the seat because it may be altered by redistricting after the Census is completed in December.