BOMBSHELL: E-mail indicates Daschle state director illegally doing campaign work

The Daschle campaign, in its effort to dampen the impact of the new ad being broadcast by the US Chamber of Commerce, sent out an e-mail to a South Dakota businessperson, attempting to get that person's signature on a letter asking the US Chamber of Commerce to stop broadcasting its ad. The following is the text of that e-mail:

Here is the letter to the US Chamber regarding the ads being run against Tom. I am forwarding this to you at the request of Steve Erpenbach. It is important to Senator Daschle that people understand that the state and local Chambers in South Dakota are not sponsoring this ad, and have remained neutral in this race.

Your willingness to lend your name to the letter would be a great help to the Senator. We want to make sure that you are comfortable with content. Please reply to this email. If you have questions call Steve Erpenbach at 366-6565. Included is a copy of the script of the ad and talking points on Tom's record on this issue.

Thank you for your assistance,

Ryan Howlett

(Emphases added.) Steve Erpenbach is Senator Daschle's State Director, and a member of his Senate staff, NOT a member of his campaign staff. His salary is paid by taxpayer dollars, not campaign funds. The Senate Ethics Manual prohibits Senate staffers helping incumbents gain reelection. Below is the relevant text from the Senate Ethics Manual:

Senate employees are compensated from funds of the Treasury for regular performance of official duties. They are not paid to do campaign work. In the words of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia: "It is clear from the record that Congress has recognized basic principle that government funds should not be spent to help incumbents gain reelection."

(Emphasis added.) The case quoted is Common Cause v. Bolger, 574 F. Supp. 672 (D.D.C. 1982). It would appear, given the information now available, that Erpenbach's activity is a blatant violation of a bright line rule in the Senate Code of Ethics. According to the e-mail quoted above, Erpenbach is deeply involved in the Daschle campaign's effort to squelch the effect of the US Chamber of Commerce ads. According to the facts as I know them, Erpenbach is being paid with taxpayer dollars to do campaign work.

Interestingly, Erpenbach at one time was the assistant city editor for the Argus Leader, working under city editor David Kranz. Jeff Gannon reported this factoid last summer in a piece headlined "Another Daschle Link to Beleaguered Newspaper Revealed." Excerpt:

Steve Erpenbach, currently State Director for Daschle, was Assistant City Editor for the Argus Leader from 1986 until 1989. David Kranz, the reporter at the center of the controversy, was City Editor at the time. Erpenbach became Press Secretary for Ted Muenster in his 1990 bid to unseat Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD). It was during this campaign that the New York Times and Roll Call criticized the Argus Leader for its biased coverage.