WASHINGTON — Omaha congressional candidate Kara Eastman, a Democrat, is criticizing Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., for using companies owned by the same man for both official communications and campaign business.
Bacon responded by saying everything his office has done was routine, followed the rules and was approved by House bodies in charge of reviewing official communications.
Eastman cited an article by an online publication called the Intercept, which detailed how Bacon’s congressional office paid $52,518 to Double Bogey Strategies for printing and advertisements earlier this year.
The story noted that the company’s owner, David Watts, owns another consulting company called Double Eagle Strategies, which Bacon’s campaign has been paying regularly for years.
“Even though they were technically paid to two different companies, they are both owned and operated by the same person at the same address,†Eastman said.
People are also reading…
She described that as the kind of behavior that Nebraskans are sick of seeing and called for further investigation of the spending.
“The foundation of my campaign is that elected representatives must follow the highest standards,†Eastman said.
Bacon spokeswoman Danielle Jensen said the congressional office retained the services of a “small, minority-owned business†to produce communications related to the coronavirus, in accordance with all House rules. Those communications included printed and digital materials that directed people to a page on the congressman’s official website with coronavirus information.
“Taxpayer dollars were never used for campaign- related activities and it is a common occurrence for the same vendor to be used for political or official mail, something that House administration reviewed and said was fine,†Jensen said.
To support that assertion, Jensen provided a statement from Ashley Phelps, a Republican spokeswoman with the Committee on House Administration.
“The official communications paid for by Rep. Bacon’s (official office) funds were approved by the bipartisan Communications Standards Commission, were not campaign related, and did not break any rules,†Phelps said in the statement. “The member handbook, which governs members’ official spending, allows offices to contract with outside vendors to communicate on issues related to their official work.â€
In a World-Herald interview, Bacon described the Intercept story as an attempt by the left to boost Eastman’s campaign. He noted that House members had been specifically encouraged back in the spring to use their official communications — often referred to as “franking†— to share pandemic information with constituents.
He said his staff shopped around and ended up hiring the vendor with the lowest price in an effort to save taxpayers money.
Vendors who produce official communications typically are in the business of working with campaigns as well, Bacon said.
“The fact is most vendors do both,†Bacon said. “They are going to do franking and political stuff. They don’t do one or the other.â€
The 2020 Journal Star general election Voter's Guide
Your guide to Lincoln-area and statewide races and ballot questions that will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Click on a race name to see the candidates and learn about their views on the issues.
Nebraska voters will decide whether to cap the maximum annual rates associated with payday loans at 36% following a successful ballot initiative.
Nebraska voters will determine whether to allow casino gambling to enter the state when they consider a three-pronged initiative on the genera…
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse is seeking reelection to a second six-year term and will face Democratic nominee Chris Janicek of Omaha on the ballot.
Nebraska holds three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Eastern Nebraska's 1st District includes Lincoln; the 2nd District includes O…
Southeast Community College is led by an 11-member board of governors that meets on the third Tuesday of every month.
The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District covers about 1,600 square miles in Southeast Nebraska, including most of Lancaster and Cass …
Only one of the two seats on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners up for election this year features a contested race.
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents consists of eight members elected to serve six-year terms representing districts across the state.
The State Board of Education sets state education policy and regulations, and oversees the Nebraska Department of Education.
Judges in Nebraska are appointed by the governor and then retained by popular vote. It is extremely rare for a sitting judge to be voted out o…
IN LINCOLN
View the Voter's Guide as it appeared in the Journal Star print edition.