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Mail carrier investigated over allegations of dumping GOP political mailers (WI)
Watchdog.org The Wisconsin Reporter ^ | 11-2-14 | M. D.Kittle

Posted on 11/03/2014 6:01:05 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic

MADISON, Wis. — Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night may keep postal carriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. But partisan politics, now that may be another matter altogether.

An investigation has been launched into a Neenah postal carrier who allegedly dumped into a recycling bin hundreds of political advertisement mailers from the campaign of Mike Rorhkaste, Republican candidate for Wisconsin’s 55th Assembly District, Rorhkaste tells Wisconsin Reporter.

Neenah Postmaster Brian Smoot, who was alerted to the incident on Thursday, confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into the matter, and referred Wisconsin Reporter to the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service. OIG representatives there did not return several phone calls seeking comment.

“I am not allowed to comment because it is an active investigation,” Smoot said of accusations that the unidentified mail carrier mishandled the political literature.

Rorhkaste, a retired human resources executive, is running against Democrat Mark Westphal, an industrial electrician and president of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council AFL-CIO, in the race to replace outgoing state Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, who left the Legislature to become mayor of Neenah.

Speaking to Wisconsin Reporter Sunday evening, Rorhkaste said he first learned of the incident last Thursday when a Neenah resident emailed him. The resident, whom Rorhkaste did not identify, had witnessed a postal carrier dumping a bunch of material into a recycling bin at an apartment complex, according to the email.

The resident checked the bin after the postal carrier left and found hundreds of political mailers from the campaigns of Rorhkaste, Glenn Grothman, a Republican state senator running for the open 6th Congressional District seat, as well as political messages from a special interest group in support of former state Rep. Roger Roth, a Republican who is running for Wisconsin 19th Senate District seat.

Rorhkaste said he called the U.S. Postal Service in Neenah, and within a half hour a supervisor responded to the scene.

“She took a number of pictures. She actually got into the dumpster,” Rorhkaste said.

The supervisor rounded up the mailers, and Smoot on Friday confirmed that the mailers had been delivered to their appointed rounds, according to Rorhkaste.

While he said he isn’t sure what the motive might have been, the Republican candidate described the alleged political mailer dump as “disappointing, disturbing.”

“You wouldn’t expect the post office to do that to anyone, regardless of party,” he said, adding that Smoot and the supervisor who responded were extremely apologetic and assured him they would investigate and deal with the situation appropriately.

The mailers were bound for a key “crossover precinct” in Neenah, which makes up nearly half of the55th Assembly District’s residents.

“I’m glad the postal service here took it seriously, and I’m glad we got the pieces mailed,” Rorhkaste said. “If that wasn’t brought to my attention, I never would have known.”

“What I was upset about is, I don’t want this to happen to anybody,” the candidate added. “This is a First Amendment right. It’s one of our nation’s cherished principles.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: felony; grothman; mail; mailer; neenah; postal; postalservice; republicans; rorhkaste; roth; wisconsin
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Contributed photo

DUMPED: A Neenah mail carrier allegedly dumped hundreds of GOP political mailers in a recycling bin behind an apartment complex last week. A U.S. Postal Service official confirms an investigation has been launched into the incident.

1 posted on 11/03/2014 6:01:05 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Isn’t this wonderful? Another commie ‘RAT public servant who is “proud to serve”. Must be a union thing.


2 posted on 11/03/2014 6:02:54 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Ebola and Enterovirus-D68. Proud members of Viruses Without Borders.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic; Hunton Peck; Diana in Wisconsin; P from Sheb; Shady; DonkeyBonker; ...

Republican campaign mail dumped by postal carrier — under investigation.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.


3 posted on 11/03/2014 6:04:04 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

I hope he is fired, but I doubt he will be.


4 posted on 11/03/2014 6:04:05 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (The cure has become worse than the disease. Support an end to the WOD now.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

FIRE THE CORRUPT “WORKER” IMMEDIATELY. No extended taxpayer funded paid vacation (aka “paid administrative leave”), no being paid during ridiculous appeals. No unemployment insurance being paid.


5 posted on 11/03/2014 6:05:28 AM PST by House Atreides (ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN FOR CHILDERS 2014 .... Don't reward bad GOPe behavior.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

My money is on “two week suspension with pay”.


6 posted on 11/03/2014 6:05:40 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Blood of Tyrants

If they apply the Susan Rice template he has a bright future.


7 posted on 11/03/2014 6:07:18 AM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

I’m sure Eric WithHolder will pursue this aggressively.


8 posted on 11/03/2014 6:10:59 AM PST by W1_hooyah (I actually did vote for John Kerry, right before I voted against him.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Hmmmm-That must be a ‘calibration error’.


9 posted on 11/03/2014 6:12:12 AM PST by SMARTY ("When you blame others, you give up your power to change." Robert Anthony)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Promoted a couple of grades for being a resourceful partisan.


10 posted on 11/03/2014 6:16:00 AM PST by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Leftists sure abide by that “ends justify the means” mentality, don’t they?

I guess when they define their goals as perfection on earth,
any evil used to get there can be justified.


11 posted on 11/03/2014 6:17:52 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Well, that’s one way to campaign for the ‘Rat. No worse than many other techniques the ‘Rats utilize.


12 posted on 11/03/2014 6:18:03 AM PST by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Post Office,fer sure he’s/shes a union slug


13 posted on 11/03/2014 6:19:58 AM PST by CGASMIA68
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Not sure what will happen to the carrier.

In my processing facility, we take political mail *Very* seriously.

All political mailings are highlighted with huge red cards denoting that they are political mailings.

We’re required to process and deliver them before first class mail, to avoid any possible bias charges.

Election season is aggravating. We actually have to dig through containers looking for political mail to make sure it gets delivered.


14 posted on 11/03/2014 6:22:46 AM PST by Crazieman (Article V or National Divorce. The only solutions now.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Fired hell....he committed a federal crime...he needs to go to jail.

Wait....it was Republican mailings...all’s good then.


15 posted on 11/03/2014 6:23:13 AM PST by rottndog ('Live Free Or Die' Ain't just words on a bumber sticker...or a tagline.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic
“You wouldn’t expect the post office to do that to anyone, regardless of party,”

I expect it........................

16 posted on 11/03/2014 6:23:32 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: Crazieman

17 posted on 11/03/2014 6:23:49 AM PST by Crazieman (Article V or National Divorce. The only solutions now.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

I hope they were addressed to people by name so each and everyone of them could press charges separately and this scumbag can become the new AFL-CIO organizer in Leavenworth.


18 posted on 11/03/2014 6:24:12 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic
"While he said he isn’t sure what the motive might have been..."

Oh, come on...

19 posted on 11/03/2014 6:24:19 AM PST by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Can’t believe I’m the first to write this: Newman!


20 posted on 11/03/2014 6:27:01 AM PST by katana (Just my opinions)
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