Political mailers are rarely calm or even-keeled documents. The same campaigns that declare they’re cruising to victory on cable news will turn around and send potential supporters emails or letters with breathless requests for cash. But the Republican National Committee appears to have found a way to raise the stakes from “we desperately need your help” to “you have to give it to us.” To wit, an RNC mailer that has been going around with a big, bold “NOTICE OF DELINQUENCY” that conveniently looks an awful lot like an overdue bill.
There has been a rash of recent reports of people being confused—and, frankly, scared—when opening a version of that letter, including in
California,
Pennsylvania,
Nebraska,
North Carolina,
Texas,
Virginia, and
Washington. In case the all-caps “NOTICE OF DELINQUENCY”—stamped on the envelope and the letter itself—doesn’t grab the recipient’s attention, there’s also an
attached donation slip disguised somewhat convincingly as a bill, complete with a “PAST DUE” notice, circled in red, as well as text that reads, “*** IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUESTED***”. The letter’s signee? Republican National Chairman Reince Preibus.