AUSTIN — Fifty days ahead of the midterm elections, a viral tweet questioning the legality of a possible donation request disguised as a summons reportedly mailed by the Senator Ted Cruz campaign is causing a stir, at least on social media.
A spokesperson for the campaign is speaking out, saying this method has been used millions of times in the past two years without any issue, that is until this tweet.
The tweet, which has received over 100,000 interactions, claims Twitter user Sean Owen's 88-year-old grandmother received the letter appearing to be a summons from Travis County, but it's actually a request for a donation to the Cruz campaign.
"Did your campaign authorize this? Is this even legal," Owen asks.
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Here's how the campaign responded when asked by KVUE:
“Out of hundreds of thousands of mailers to the Austin area targeting likely supporters -- clearly labeled on the front with 'Ted Cruz for Senate' -- there were a few complaints that came not to us but through the local media or Twitter. Our mail efforts have been both effective and critical to identifying and engaging our supporters, and getting them involved in our campaign efforts to keep Texas strong.”
Spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said the campaign has sent out millions of these mailers across the state over the last two years. They are clearly marked "Ted Cruz for Senate" on the front and are sent to donors and to those who have supported Republicans, meaning they target people who are likely interested in the campaign's message.
Frazier said they have not received any direct complaints about the mailers until the viral tweet generated questions. According to Frazier, the mailing efforts have been one of the most effective means of gathering contributions and identifying supporters to get them involved.
The New York Times reports that a spokesman for the Federal Election Commission says if a mailing states it's coming from a campaign, it's not illegal.