Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz Calls RNC "Census" Mailers an Outrage

Updated 4:23 p.m. Eastern Time

Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah has lashed out at the Republican National Committee over its continuing practice of sending out a fundraising mailer that claims to be a "census document."

"They're trying to be deceptive, and it outrages me," Chaffetz said in an interview with The Plum Line's Greg Sargent.

As TPMMuckraker's Zachary Roth reported Monday, the RNC is continuing to send out a fundraising appeal  with the words "census" and "DO NOT DESTROY/OFFICIAL DOCUMENT," despite a law passed weeks ago banning these types of mailers. (Here is a copy of the mailer.)

The RNC, which has faced a string of scandals under the leadership of chair Michael Steele (pictured), argues the law does not apply to its mailers, which note (in relatively smaller print) that it is not a U.S. government document.

Chaffetz, who co-sponsored the law banning such mailers, said it is indeed a violation.

"I'm happy to walk over there and give them a lesson," he told Sargent. "Just don't use the word 'census' and you don't have a problem."

"They're going to have to abide by the law," added Chaffetz. "The reason they're using the word census is they're trying to deceive people. I think that's wrong. Even though it's my own party I've got to call this out for what it is."

Along with Darrell Issa of California, another Republican and the co-sponsor of the law, Chaffetz is reportedly drafting a letter calling for a halt to the mailers.

Issa's spokesman told the Huffington Post that the RNC "didn't break the law, that's the bottom line," because the group exploited a loophole in the legislation. (He allowed that they "may have violated the spirit of the law.") Issa is reportedly considering introducing new legislation as early as today to close the loophole.  

(UPDATE: Issa has introduced the legislation. "Deceptive mailings must not be allowed to interfere with the constitutionally mandated Census," he said. "This legislation deserves bipartisan support and I am working with Congressional Democrats to advance this bill as expeditiously as possible.")

In the mailers, which repeatedly use the word "census," Steele asks recipients to fill out a "2010 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CENSUS," which he says will "provide us with the detailed information we need" about a particular district.

Recipients are given a May 17th deadline to return the document. They are asked to also send along a donation to the Republican Party of up to $500.