Chabot breaks House rules.........again.

On Friday, Steve Chabot's office sent an email to other Congressional offices asking all members to send their interns to the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) to help make campaign calls for Jim Oberweis who was running to take over Dennis Hastert's seat in Illinois.

It is a violation of house rules to use taxpayer and House resources for campaign purposes.
From "The Hill":

“If you have interns sitting around today, please send them over to the RNC...to phone bank for Oberweis,” the e-mail states.
Matthew Lillibridge, a staff assistant in Chabot’s office, forwarded the e-mail to aides in other congressional offices, apparently violating House rules against using House resources for campaign purposes. Lillibridge used his House e-mail address, forwarding the e-mail to other addresses on the House e-mail server.
“It raises questions as to what other activities are taking place in Congressman Steve Chabot’s office on the taxpayer’s dime,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesman Doug Thornell told The Hill.

Link to the entire story here:http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/chabots-office-apologizes-for-apparently-breaking-house-rules-in-campaign-e-mail-2008-03-08.html

This is not Mr. Chabot's first episode exploiting taxpayer resources for campaign purposes. He came under fire last election cycle for the illegal practice of "franking". Members of Congress do not have to pay postage on mail sent to constituents when it is not campaign related. Mr. Chabot used this privilege to send campaign flyers to Republican households throughout his district, allowing him to use taxpayer money and save campaign cash.