Meffert files ethics complaint against Paulsen

Photo: Jim Meffert for Congress

DFL candidate Jim Meffert filed an ethics complaint with the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday charging that Rep. Erik Paulsen, his Republican opponent, falsified information in an official House communication with district residents. The Meffert campaign is taking issue with a tax-payer funded mailer that shows a graph of the national deficit, claiming that the graph is purposefully distorted. Paulsen’s campaign complained that Meffert confused debt with deficit and that the mailer passed through the House franking office.

“Somehow, an increase of a projected $1.1 trillion per year under President Obama is depicted as drastically sharper than the $2.2 trillion per year increase under President Bush,” the Meffert campaign said in a statement.

In a letter to the House Ethics Committee, Alex Falconer, Meffert’s campaign manager wrote, “If plotted correctly, Paulsen’s own numbers would show an economy that is slowing the bleeding; but Paulsen manipulated the numbers on the graph to show the opposite of the truth. He lied to the people of the Third District and he should be held accountable. Congressman Paulsen should be investigated, and we need to find out how he was able to push such a deceitful piece through the House Ethics Committee.”

The mailer, which was sent out in March, exaggerates the increase in the deficit. Here is the chart Paulsen’s office created:

And here’s the chart with the figures plotted correctly which was provided by the Meffert campaign:

But Mark Giga, spokesman for Paulsen shot back at Meffert: “Jim Meffert needs to learn the difference between the national debt and the federal deficit.”

He said, “The Paulsen mail piece examines the exploding national debt while Meffert’s press release complains about ‘the federal deficit growing at an increasingly rapid pace.’ We agree with Meffert that the federal deficit is growing at an increasingly rapid pace.”

Giga added, “There isn’t a single number or word on the mail piece that is inaccurate.”

Giga said the mailer “was approved by the Commission on Mailing and Standards (the Franking Commission) of the Committee on House Administration. Both of which are chaired by Democrats.”

But Meffert’s campaign says that Paulsen is dodging the real issue.

“Who can look at the graph in question and say it is a fair representation of the data?” asked Falconer. “The point of a graph is to show data. The graph in question morphs the data to show something very different than what the same data would show when graphed properly. This graph is clearly meant to lead constituents to the opposite conclusion from what the numbers, graphed accurately, would show.”

The Meffert campaign said it did conflate debt and deficit and that they have amended their complaint. “The graph is still as misleading as ever,” said Falconer. “Is this childish and flippant response the best we can expect from the office of our Congressman?”