NEW: Brown Demands Warren Repay Taxpayers for ‘Welfare Mailers’

Friday, August 10, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Politics Team

U.S. Senator Scott Brown

US Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) is demanding his opponent, Elizabeth Warren (D) repay taxpayers for mailings that went out to those on welfare from the Department of Trasitional Assistance. Demos, a policy group Warren's daughter works for, was part of a group that filed a lawsuit prompting the mailings to be sent out.

"It's been disturbing for a lot of people to learn that the state's welfare department undertook an unprecedented voter registration drive at the behest of Elizabeth Warren's daughter and the organization she represents,” Brown said in a statement released today.

Warren’s daughter, Amelia Warren Tyagi, has worked with the non-profit a lawsuit that prompted the state to spend almost $300,000 in mailings to welfare recipients to encourage them to vote, something Brown is saying will directly influence the race and give Warren an advantage.

“It is clear that this was done to aid Elizabeth Warren's Senate campaign,” Brown said. “Professor Warren has more than $13 million dollars in her campaign account, and if she wants to mail every welfare recipient a voter registration form, she should do so at her own expense, not taxpayers'.”

"Scott Brown is just dead wrong. Scott Brown cannot continue ignoring the facts of this case or misleading the people of Massachusetts to convince them to ignore the facts," said Warren campaign manager, Mindy Myers. "This is just a ridiculous political stunt. It’s not about Scott Brown. It’s not about Elizabeth Warren. And it’s certainly not about anyone’s daughter. And as a father, he ought to think about that. This is about enforcing a bipartisan law passed almost 20 years ago and enforced by presidents of both political parties.”

Her opponent maintains that she should reimburse taxpayers for the mailing.

“She should immediately reimburse the state for the cost of this mailing and stop playing politics with the taxpayers' money,” he said.

Lauren Strayer, Associate Director of Communications at Demos said, "Demos is a non-partisan organization and our work across the country to ensure eligible voters have the maximum opportunity to register and vote under the NVRA is part of our vision of a robust democracy and has nothing to do with specific candidates or campaigns in MA or any other state -- so we don't comment on such political stories or activities."

The move is effecting nearly half a million welfare recipients, according to a release sent out by the Brown camp by Campaign Manager, Jim Barnett.

“The registration drive is in response to a complaint from a left-wing offshoot of the now defunct group, ACORN, and another liberal group funded by billionaire financier and convicted insider trader George Soros called Demos,” said the release. “The kicker? The chairman of the board of Demos is none other than Elizabeth Warren's daughter. And the board of Demos is chock full of Warren donors. Nothing to see here, right?”

The release calls on supporters to donate to the Brown camp in response.

“It's hard enough as a Republican to win in a state like Massachusetts where we are outnumbered by 3-to-1. But this latest incident shows that the far-left powers that be aren't satisfied with that. They want to use your taxpayer dollars to tilt the field even more in their direction,” Barnett says in the release. “Enough is enough. Show the Beacon Hill machine that you are fed up by sending a donation to help Scott Brown level the playing field.”