Presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo on Tuesday published the same news release on his U.S. House and campaign websites, despite ethics rules prohibiting “campaign or political activity from taking place in a congressional office.”
“Sounds like he has crossed that boundary, certainly,” said Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for Common Cause, a group monitoring government ethics.
Tancredo’s House office said there’s no wrongdoing.
“As far as I know, anytime something becomes public information, the campaign can use it,” said T.Q. Houlton, congressional spokesman for the Littleton Republican. “We’re not in any sort of violation on this stuff.”
Tancredo’s presidential campaign did not return inquiries.
At issue are two identical news releases dated Oct. 23 entitled “Tancredo Introduces ‘No- Match’ Letter Legislation.” Posted on the immigration reformer’s campaign website and his taxpayer-funded U.S. House website, they decry a federal court decision blocking the Department of Homeland Security from sending letters to employers seeking to verify workers’ immigration status.
These were not the first identical postings Tancredo has used for his congressional work and presidential campaign. On Oct. 11, the same news release lambasting officials in El Paso for opposing a border fence also appeared on both websites.
The House rule book on campaign activity says members’ campaigns must wait a few days after a news release is issued before reproducing its contents.
Tancredo’s Houlton asserted the rule is outdated because he said it doesn’t factor in the emergence of the Internet.
“This decision was made in 1982 before e-mails,” he said. “With today’s digital media and e-mails, a few days isn’t necessary.”
The same section of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct booklet on campaign activity specifically addresses House members’ websites. It says: “Where a congressional office posts a statement setting out the Member’s views on the major issues on its official web site, the Member’s campaign is not free to reproduce that statement so long as it remains on the official web site.”
The point of such rules, says Common Cause’s Boyle, “Is so you don’t have someone like Tom Tancredo – a member of Congress supposed to be there representing the interest of the people of the Denver suburbs – using the office to campaign for president.”
The House standards committee has the power to investigate ethics cases. The committee has a policy of not commenting on potential violations.
Susan Greene: 303-954-1589 or sgreene@denverpost.com
