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Raleigh legislator’s mailing list doubled by mistake

BECKLEY, W.Va. — A double entry in mailing records kept by the House of Delegates Clerk caused one local lawmaker to do a double-take when he read his mailing numbers in a story in a Charleston newspaper.

Delegate Ricky Moye, D-Raleigh, said he knew something was wrong with the report that said he’d sent more than 9,000 pieces of mail to constituents in his district.

Clerk Greg Gray confirmed Tuesday morning that Moye actually mailed a total of 4,982 letters during the 2014 legislative session at a cost of $720.72 for 2,772 letters mailed at the bulk rate and another $1,781.52 for letters mailed at the regular rate.

Gray said he couldn’t determine at which rate 125 letters from Moye were mailed. Gray said that, optimally, delegates’ mail is sent in bundles of 200 so that it qualifies for the lower bulk rate, so one delegate’s mail can be mixed with another’s, making it more difficult to nail down exact numbers, he said.

Delegates are allowed to mail letters to their constituents, a privilege known as “franking.” The mailed material must be informational and not campaign propaganda.

The clerk said he doesn’t see any abuse on the part of delegates to use the privilege.

“They sent out more letters,” Gray said. “So what?”

Certainly, this legislative session could not be considered “normal” by any accounting…

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