CREW AND PUBLIC CITIZEN ASK FRANKING COMMISSION TO PUBLISH ALL GUIDANCE AND OPINIONS ONLINE

2 Apr 2008 // New Questions Arise on Use of Frank for Tele-Town Halls

Washington, DC - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Public Citizen wrote to the House Committee on Administration and the Franking Commission asking that all guidance, advisory opinions, and official written decisions be published online in order to make it easier for members of Congress to be certain that they are in compliance with all franking rules, to promote transparency, and help allay the concerns of watchdog groups, the media, and concerned citizens that the frank is sometimes misused for partisan, political purposes.

Prompting the letter were questions that arose recently as to the use of the frank to conduct "electronic town halls" or "tele-town halls," which essentially allow members to hold a large conference call with constituents. As reported in the Colorado Springs Gazette, a staffer for a member of Congress who regularly conducts electronic town hall meetings at taxpayer expense explained to a reporter that the calls are an electronic version of franking and that the Franking Commission has approved the expenditures.

The letter notes that the Franking Manual or "Red Book" does not appear to have been updated in over 10 years, and provides no guidance regarding the use of electronic mediums to communicate with constituents, meaning there is no published guidance relating to issues such as mass emails, electronic newsletters, or electronic town halls. Given the explosive growth of these methods of communication over the same period, the Franking Commission must be and has been offering guidance on the appropriate use of the frank in these contexts.

CREW and Public Citizen are requesting that all advisory information is made available on the web posthaste.

The letter is posted to the right.