Where did the FreedomWorks photos come from?

It seems that some of the photos used in the attack mailers by FreedomWorks earlier this week may have violated the law.

From the AP:

Democrats complained that three of the fliers featured photographs paid for by taxpayers — a violation of internal House and Senate rules.

Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, wrote to House Minority Leader Wayne Scott, R-Canby, that he knew of only three copies of a DVD that contained the photos taken during opening-day ceremonies in January.

Merkley wrote that one was kept in his office and another was housed in the office of Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem. The third, Merkley says, went to Scott's office.

"My staff assures me that they did not provide these official photographs to Oregon FreedomWorks," Merkley wrote to Scott, in a letter also copied to Courtney. "It seems apparent that the person who provided these photos to Oregon FreedomWorks is in likely violation of both rules and statutes."

Russ Walker, FreedomWorks' director in Oregon, said he doesn't know where the group got the photos. "I have to talk to my attorneys," Walker said. "We would never have used those photos if we thought they were violating the law."

Wow. Here's the Oregonian's coverage. Discuss.

March 02, 2007 Posted in in the news 2007.