Postal Service weighing probe into RNC 'census' mailer

The U.S. Postal Service has received a complaint about the so-called Republican National Committee "census" mailer and is considering an investigation, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Several Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Postmaster General John Potter asking for an investigation into whether or not the mailers violate a law intended to ban them. Members of Congress in both parties say the fundraising mailers, which resemble Census forms, are misleading.

"We have received a complaint and we are looking at it," USPS spokesman Gerry McKiernan told The Hill.

Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah) earlier Tuesday slammed the mailer and said the RNC is "trying to be deceptive."

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) released a statement Tuesday, saying he was introducing legislation to close the loopholes in the law passed last month to prevent the mailings.

RNC communications director Doug Heye said in an e-mail that his committee is abiding by the law.

"Our legal department has ruled that the mailer is well within the confines of new statute. Thus, the mailers have continued," he said. 

(h/t TPM)

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