More than 200 voters were denied the chance to hear what a Republican House candidate had to say about her opponent after campaign mail pieces were dumped in a New York state creek in October.
The mailers were paid for by the state Republican Party and attacked the record of Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan, who faces a challenge from Republican Alison Esposito in New York’s 18th Congressional District, according to the New York Post.
A fisherman found between 200 and 250 mailers “torn and shredded” and strewn about the ground near Sprout Creek, a complaint with the U.S. Postal Service said.
“It’s certainly a case of election interference,” state Republican Party representative David Laska said.
“Someone committed a very serious offense,” Laska said.
The Postal Service needs to investigate whether the mailers were dumped by Postal Service employees.
The complaint cites an unnamed “USPS Employee/Contractor” as being responsible.
“An individual in Wappingers Falls, NY reported to the NY Republican Federal Campaign Committee that approximately 200-250 pieces of political mail were discovered torn and shredded on the side of Brown Road by Sprout Creek, which were intended to be mailed in the custody of USPS,” the complaint said.
The Postal Service confirmed that it is looking into the complaint.
“The U.S. Postal Service is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s election mail. The Postal Service is aware of a complaint alleging improper handling of political mail being reviewed by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and has nothing further to offer,” Postal Service representative Mark Lawrence said.
Reports of post-stamped mail discarded in our local creek have raised serious concerns among our residents. While the details of this situation remain unclear, our office has taken proactive steps by sending a formal letter to the Inspector General, urging a thorough and… pic.twitter.com/nxSrVn7Xvz
— Anil Beephan | New York (@AnilBeephanjr) November 1, 2024
“So far this is the only batch of mail that has been found, but there could be others,” James Curran, general counsel of the state Republican Party, said in the complaint, according to Higher Ground Times.
Esposito is a 25-year veteran of the New York Police Department who zeroed in on immigration as a top campaign issue.
“This Country was founded on Lawful Immigration, and we must work together to fix the system for those who wish to legally immigrate and live the American Dream,” she wrote on her campaign website.
In ONE day we will FIRE @PatRyanUC, FLIP #NY18, and bring a red, white, and blue wave of common sense to Washington D.C. Make a plan to get out and vote tomorrow: https://t.co/dFVbFGKPbQ pic.twitter.com/t8FXI6nxvI
— Alison Esposito (@EspositoforNY) November 4, 2024
“It is clear that under the Biden Administration, there is a manufactured humanitarian and national security crisis,” she wrote.
“Our Southern Border is NOT secure, and deadly drugs, such as fentanyl and fentanyl related substances, plague our communities are not the only concern. Over the past year alone, over 170 people on the terrorist watch list have illegally crossed our border that we know of.”
