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The Texas Republican campaign was criticized for the mailer after it was shared on social networks.
Sean Owen, a resident of Austin, Texas, tweeted, "He received it for my 88-year-old grandmother. He says it's a convocation of Travis County, but asks for money for @tedcruz. even legal? Shame on you. This is one more voter @BetoORourke. "
The picture was retweeted more than 34,000 times on Tuesday afternoon.
But Cruz's campaign denied in a statement that the mailer was misleading for voters.
"On millions of direct mail ads targeting Republicans – clearly labeled on the front with" Ted Cruz for the Senate "- there have been a few complaints that we have not received but through local media or twitter "spokesman said. "Our mail efforts have been both effective and essential in identifying and mobilizing our supporters and engaging them in our campaigning efforts to maintain Texas strength."
And a veteran collaborator from Cruz echoed this reaction, telling CNN that the campaign had sent "millions of these shippers across the state in the last two years" and that "nobody supports Ted (Cruz) tweets at this time. subject. "
The assistant said the shippers are "targeted at people who have donated to us or Republicans in the past" and that "this has been done in the past without controversy". The assistant also pointed out that shippers were in compliance with the regulations of the Federal Electoral Commission.
The campaign of Democratic Representative Beto O. Rourke, who challenges the insurgents to the first-year Senator, declined to comment on the direct mail.
Brendan Fischer, director of the Federal Reform Program's Campaign Legal Center, told CNN that although the mail editor probably did not violate federal law, he was "misleading."
"There is nothing that would prevent Cruz's campaign from making misleading statements or encapsulating campaign materials in a misleading envelope, provided that there is a legal warning on the message "said Fischer. "So the main requirement of the campaign is that its communications include a warning that the Cruz campaign has paid for it."
Texas Democratic State Representative Gene Wu, however, argued that Cruz's mailer could be contrary to Texas law. Wu wrote on Twitter that the senders were a "violation of the Texas Deceptive Marketing Practices Act (DTPA) .I know because I passed this law in 2015." Violation of this law could justify a fine.
But Wu also suggested that the shipper "may actually be criminal," citing the state's law governing the issuance of summonses, noting that "prosecution of criminal statutes is your county attorney's responsibility and District Attorney ".
Asked specifically about state law, Cruz's campaign assistant maintained the campaign "believe we are in full legal compliance".
The Travis County Attorney's Office told CNN in a statement that "we have received a complaint, but our policy is not to discuss issues related to an ongoing election."
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