By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — US Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who represents the East Side of Manhattan and parts of Queens, called for an investigation Monday into recent Republican National Committee mailings that she said resemble official Census documents.
The letters in question, which were sent to California voters, came from RNC Chairman Michael Steele, but were labeled as official Census documents and did not indicate that they were from the RNC or include a sender and return address.
They were postmarked April 12, just five days after a bill written by Maloney was signed into law requring all mail labeled as census information to include both a return address and a clear disclaimer stating the Federal government did not send the materials.
Small print on the RNC mailing's envelope states that the letter is not an official US Government document.
In her investigation request to the Postmaster General, Maloney claims the most recent RNC letter is nearly identical to the one that prompted her to write the bill in the first place.
"We fear that intentionally misleading mailings like these once again threaten to undermine the accuracy of the 2010 count," Maloney said.
Steele's letter asks for financial contributions to the GOP and includes a questionnaire that would gather information about likely Republican voters; data that would be extremely valuable in future Republican campaigns and get-out-the-vote efforts.
For example: "Please indicate the top three issues that you believe are most important to people in your area."
Among the choices are: "Goverment Expansion," "Immigration," and "Protecting Traditional Values."
"It is very unfortunate that the RNC continues to use this deceptive tactic," said Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay of Missouri, who co-signed Maloney's letter. "I urge the Postmaster General to act swiftly to stop it."
Maloney called for the investigation in her roles as Chairman of the Information Policy, Census and National Archives Subcommittee and senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
