(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Hundreds of official tax letters in the Modesto area near Sacramento, California were sent out by the County Assessor’s office with stamps reading “Let’s Go Brandon,” CBS Sacramento 13 reported.
In a CBS video segment describing the affair, two anchors somberly introduced the story.
“The big question now is How did [the stamps] end up on official letters sent out to taxpayers?” one anchor said.
Outraged local resident Vicky Boese expressed shock over the prank in an interview about the stamps.
“I was surprised,” she said. “I was surprised that somebody was able to access 800 pieces of mail and stamp this on and no one stopped them.”
The report noted that Boese was not one of the recipients of the envelope but had seen a friend’s.
Nonetheless, she said, all taxpaying citizens had a stake in such flagrant government abuse of its fiduciary responsibilities to manage public funds appropriately.
“This is taxpayers’ money,” Boese said. “And they’re using this derogatory stamp to show what somebody thinks about this, but we’re paying for it,” she added.
“It’s just not right.”
When it was suggested to her that it may have been a mistake, Boese became visibly enraged.
“A mistake? A printing error? How could it be a printing error?” she asked. “It’s stamped on every envelop on the back. Somebody needs to realize this was illegal, and it’s just not good.”
CBS also interviewed Stanislaus County Assessor Don Gaekle, whose office was responsible for the letters.
Gaekle, however, denied any role in the stunt.
“Our office is completely nonpartisan,” he said. “We didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Nonetheless, Gaekle apologized for the mean stamps.
“We apologize that this mistake offended taxpayers, and we want to make sure that it never happens again.”
