Ted Cruz refuses to apologize for sending out personal 'shaming letters' to Iowa voters in an effort 'encourage them to vote'

A top election official in Iowa condemned Ted Cruz's presidential campaign on Saturday for sending mailers to voters in the state that appear to look like official documents that accuse them of a 'Voting Violation' for failing to turn out in past elections.  

The mailer, which was flagged by several Twitter users, says the recipient it's been sent due to 'low expected voter turnout in your area' and then grades the recipient's voting history and that of several neighbors, citing public records.

The words 'official public record' are printed in red at the top of the mailers. 

Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate said in a statement that Cruz's mailers 'misrepresents the role of my office, and worse, misrepresents Iowa election law.'

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Ted Cruz's presidential campaign sent mailers to voters in Iowa that appear to look like official documents that accuse them of a 'Voting Violation' for failing to turn out in past elections. Above Cruz is pictured in Ida Grove, Iowa at an event on Saturday

The mailer (left)  tells the recipient it's been sent due to 'low expected voter turnout in your area' and then grades the recipient's voting history and that of several neighbors, citing public records

'There is no such thing as an election violation related to frequency of voting,' said Paul, who was elected statewide as a Republican in 2014, according to Politico.

'Any insinuation or statement to the contrary is wrong and I believe it is not in keeping in the spirit of the Iowa Caucuses.'

Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate condemned Cruz's mailers in a statement

The Texas senator is defending the campaign mailer and told reporters in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday that the mailing is 'routine.'

He said he won't apologize for 'using every tool we can' to encourage Iowa residents to vote.

In addition, Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Saturday that the piece was 'a standard mailer that folks at the Iowa Republican Party and other get-out-the-vote groups have used to help motivate low-propensity voters.'

'We're going to do everything we can to turn these folks out,' she said. 

However, Frazier did not immediately respond to comment about Pate's criticism.

In Pate's statement, he also said: 'The Iowa Secretary of State's Office never 'grades' voters. 

'Nor does the Secretary of State maintain records related to Iowa Caucus participation. 

'Caucuses are organized and directed by the state political parties, not the Secretary of State, nor local elections officials.'

Cruz's Iowa State chairman and the former Iowa secretary of state, Matt Schultz, responded to Pate and said that the mailers are 'common practice to increase voter turnout.'

'Our mailer was modeled after the very successful 2014 mailers that the Republican Party of Iowa distributed to motivate Republican voters to vote, and which helped elect numerous Republican candidates during that cycle,' Schultz stated, Politico reported.

The Texas senator is defending the campaign mailer and told reporters in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday that the mailing is 'routine'

He said he won't apologize for 'using every tool we can' to encourage Iowa residents to vote

Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul agreed with Pate and tweeted: 'Tactics of a career politician #busTed.'

While speaking to reporters in Ames, Marco Rubio said that voters even approached him about the controversial Cruz mailer. 

'They were upset about it obviously. They had people's names and they gave them an F rating for how they voted. I think a lot of voters are disturbed by it,' Rubio said.

He suggested that Cruz was getting desperate in the campaign's final days before the Iowa caucus, and he called it 'an unusual way to end your campaign in the state.'

'You'll have to ask him, you know, how he's feeling about his campaign but it doesn't sound like he's feeling too good,' Rubio added. 

'It sounds like he's under a lot of pressure and maybe not reacting very well to it. Which is I problematic because presidents are under pressure every day.'

Rand Paul sent the above tweet Saturday afternoon about the Cruz campaign

In addition, Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Saturday that the piece was 'a standard mailer that folks at the Iowa Republican Party and other get-out-the-vote groups have used to help motivate low-propensity voters'