Post office accused of making special deal for political fliers | Politics

DAMASCUS, Ore. – Some voters in Damascus are crying foul over the race for mayor, saying someone is stuffing mailboxes and not paying for stamps.

The voters say the postmaster knew about the mailings and called it a special arrangement.

But according to a U.S. Postal Service representative, no special arrangement was made.

A lot of it may come down to a case of he said, she said.

The Damascus race for mayor between Diana Helm and Steve Spinnett is contentious and there’s been a lot of finger-pointing.

The latest example, according to Jerry Timmons, is letters attacking Spinnett that have been going into mailboxes with no paid postage.

When Timmons asked the postal service about it, he said he was told it was a special deal for those particular campaigners.

“It means that somebody is getting something for nothing or has some kind of special thing made,” said Timmons. “Why not everybody else? I know how the postal service works. I know what you have to pay. I said, ‘I don’t understand the word ‘special.’’”

Ron Anderson, with the postal service, said there was no special arrangement.

“Not true. I actually had the chance to speak to both the supervisor and the postmaster (he) called me back and said that they know, absolutely, that’s not permissible,” he said.

He said there is a federal law that prohibits anyone but a postmaster from putting anything in a mailbox and it has to have postage.

But one postal employee said on Friday that the office was aware of the mailings but didn’t appear to be doing anything about it.

Timmons said postal inspectors are investigating the mailings and they’ve called him to ask questions.

Anderson said people who put something in mailboxes would first get a warning before action is taken. The reason for the warning is sometimes the fliers that are put into mailboxes are birthday invitations by people who don’t really intend any harm.