The House Democratic fundraising arm had to retract an email sent to supporters this morning that declared the Department of Homeland Security shut down at midnight.
“Here’s the bad news,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in an email. “Republicans forced a shutdown of Homeland Security. It started at MIDNIGHT last night. Now more than ever we need to raise $200,000 to launch an effective Rapid Response campaign against obstructionist Republicans.”
Congress voted last night to keep the department funded for a week, averting a partial closure hours before the midnight deadline.
The DCCC had been planning to use the shutdown as a fundraising tool, even though Democrats had voted in unison to defeat a three-week funding measure earlier on Friday.
The organization sent an email entitled “Correction,” on Saturday afternoon, but it did not withdraw a request for money.
“We screwed up,” the email said. “According to our records, we sent you an email this morning that you weren’t supposed to receive. Homeland Security did NOT shut down last night.”
But, the email added, money is still needed.
“This fight isn’t over,” the email said. “Late last night, Congress passed a bill that postponed the shutdown, but for only one week.
“Can you chip in to our Republican Accountability Fund before tonight’s federal fundraising deadline?”
The email apologized for the earlier error.
“We’re sorry for the mistake,” the email said, adding in parentheses, “We hate when this happens.”
