Elections

US Rep. Fitzpatrick charged taxpayers $290k for campaign-style mailers

A mailer sent to Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's constituents, paid through franking privileges.

A mailer sent to Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's constituents, paid through franking privileges.

Over the past year, voters in Bucks County have been bombarded with mailers sporting a familiar likeness: that of their congressman, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

What taxpayers in Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District may not have realized is that they were paying for the privilege of having those pamphlets adorned with Fitzpatrick’s face – and his various congressional achievements – mailed to their homes.

That’s because Fitzpatrick used his franking privileges – a congressional perk that covers legislators’ official communications – to write off $290,000 in mass mailing costs from the beginning of 2017 to February 2018.

While it’s Fitzpatrick’s money to spend, that’s a lot, even by congressional standards. In fact, according to federal records, Fitzpatrick logged more “mass mail and mass communications” expenses than all but eight of his 435 colleagues in the US House of Representatives.

His campaign said the money was spent on legitimate communications. But Democrats say the reason for Fitzpatrick’s conspicuous postal bill is simple: He’s facing a tough reelection battle in the northern Philadelphia suburbs against Democratic opponent Scott Wallace.

Eric Nagy, Wallace’s campaign spokesperson, said the mailers were nothing more than thinly veiled campaign lit.

“Sending out $290,000 worth of taxpayer-funded mail to tout ‘government reform’ is the height of hypocrisy,” he wrote. “If Fitzpatrick wants to communicate with his constituents, he should do it the old-fashioned way – by holding a real town hall.”

The Bucks County rep is not the first local pol to face scrutiny for use of the perk. Former Congressman Chaka Fattah, nearly bankrupt from fending off a long-running federal corruption investigation, similarly resorted to using his franking privileges to mail out literature, run radio ads and make robocalls during his 2016 reelection campaign.

Fitzpatrick is hardly as cash-strapped as the now-jailed Fattah: he reported nearly $1.2 million cash on hand before the recent May primary, according to FEC filings. However, it’s worth noting that he will face a deep-pocketed challenger in millionaire Scott Wallace, who is self-funding his campaign with an inherited agricultural fortune.

But like Fattah did two years ago, Fitzpatrick’s office has sought to depict the mailers as important communications between the congressman, who has denounced waste in Congress, and his constituents.

“Congressman Fitzpatrick prioritizes his budget allocation to engage with his constituents on issues and services that are important to them in a manner that is convenient for them,” said spokesperson Pat Long. “Instead of incurring expenses for multiple office spaces and excessive staff salaries, the congressman uses House-approved tools to conduct outreach and facilitate dialogue with his constituents.”

But even the nonpartisan government watchdogs, like the Philadelphia-based Committee of 70, questioned the legitmacy of Fitzpatricks use of franking privledges. 

"I'd be curious to see a Franking Commission advisory on this, because it sure looks like campaign lit to me," said spokesperson Pat Christmas.

Yet some of the mailers appear largely focused on Fitzpatrick’s accomplishments – ironically, his efforts to clean up “the Capitol’s marshier corners,” as one pamphlet states. The same mailer features pictures of the Congressman at a packed town hall and a favorable quote from an Intelligencer editorial about Fitzpatrick’s proposed reforms.

Moreover, Fitzpatrick’s office has radically increased its use of franking privileges as midterm elections have drawn nearer. In the first quarter of 2017, he spent just $13,000. In the last quarter, that figure had ballooned to $209,000, after several potential opponents had jumped into the race.

Wallace’s campaign said the timing and nature of the mailers made clear Fitzpatrick’s political intent in authorizing the expenses.

“Campaign mail on the taxpayer’s dime doesn’t just blur the line; it crosses the line entirely,” Nagy said.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.