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Is It an Ad or a Bill?

WILLIAMSPORT — Is it a political ad or a bill? For some people in Lycoming County, the campaign letter they received in the mail looks like a notice that ...

WILLIAMSPORT -- Is it a political ad or a bill? For some people in Lycoming County, the campaign letter they received in the mail looks like a notice that they owe money to the county. Now the tactic has the opposing candidate talking about pressing charges.

Lycoming County Commissioners said they have received several calls from folks concerned about a letter they received in the mail that looks like a bill. The letter appears to be from County Commissionerr Jeff Wheeland, who is running against incumbent Rick Mirabito for state representative. Wheeland's campaign calls the letter a "fraud."

Lycoming County Commissioners held a news conference in Williamsport to get the word out: a letter people are getting in the mail is not a bill from the county. It is a political advertisement, an ad sent out by a political action group that criticizes Commissioner Wheeland. At first glance, some people, like one couple from Williamsport, thought it could be a real bill.

"We were very confused. I wouldn't say we were angry, just confused and bewildered," said Curtis Henry of Williamsport.

Commissioners said they got several calls complaining about the bill that is just a political advertisement.

Janet Nash is chairperson of the political action group called People for Ethics and morality in Government, the group that sent out more than 11,000 of the political ads to people in the 83rd district.

"It was very obviously not an invoice. I mean it may have been confusing, and if it was I do apologize for that, but that facts are still true," said Nash. "I think that if people sit back and look at it for what it is, it's getting information that they never would have gotten any other way."

Jeff Wheeland's campaign team doesn't see it that way. The campaign has announced plans to file a mail fraud complaint.

"I know politics can be a rough game, but this mailer crosses the line from political discourse to what seems to be criminal fraud," said Jeff Wheeland in a news release.

The county commissioners say not only is the ad confusing, the figures presented about the county's borrowing are just plain wrong. But the political action group insists the ad is correct and eye opening.

"It made them pick up the phone and it made them open their eyes and I hope they ask more questions. I hope they call and ask more questions because that is debt that our county and our tax payers have to incur," said Nash.

Newswatch 16 reached out to the people at State Representative Rick Mirabito's campaign office. They said they did not have anything to do with the political ad, but they do insist the information in it is true.

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