The Republican candidate challenging Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz is alleging that the lawmaker is using a government website as a campaign tool.
Congressman Chaffetz is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. His Republican challenger, BYU Professor Chia-Chi Teng, alleges that Chaffetz is illegally using the committee’s website to promote his campaign. Teng points to a blog post created last month on the House Oversight website titled “Getting Results.” The webpage contains a list of government officials who have resigned or were removed from office following hearings with the committee Chaffetz leads. An updated page was posted earlier this month.
Teng says a recent Chaffetz campaign video is suspiciously similar. “They’re almost identical in their messaging,” he says.
The video ad and the website post both include the catchphrase “delivering results.”
“As Chairman of the powerful Oversight Committee, Jason Chaffetz is delivering results,” the advertisement says in part.
But there is one discrepancy between the ad and the website. The ad says that Rafel Moure-Eraso, former head of the Chemical Safety board, was fired under Chaffetz’ chairmanship.
Though Chaffetz and other members of the Oversight Committee called for his removal from office, Moure-Eraso actually resigned his position last year following a committee hearing.
“If you look at the list that they published, they’re all retired or they resigned with full pensions,” says Teng. “Most of those people would leave their jobs anyway. I think he just tried to take credit where credit is really not due.”
Congressman Chaffetz did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Teng previously filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission citing concerns about Chaffetz’ misuse of campaign funds.
The two will compete in the state’s closed Republican primary on June 28.
