The Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes is the latest to hit U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) for ostensibly using congressional staffers to do campaign work.

COAST was co-founded by Schmidt primary opponent and state Rep. Tom Brinkman (R-Cincinnati).

In a letter to Schmidt, COAST says Schmidt's office has "a long history of using tax dollars for campaign purposes" and calls on the Congresswoman to "stop this illegal, unethical and improper practice."

The letter cites the Schmidt campaign using Chief of Staff Barry Bennett as an "unofficial campaign manager for at least the past four elections in which you have run."

The letter goes on:

"The recent ethics complaint against you is just another in a series of embarrassments from you and your office to this district. Whether you think you can ‘get away with it,' is really not the issue. The issue is doing the right thing-please stop using tax dollars for campaign purposes."

The letter also points out that COAST has been successful in the past with lawsuits over the use of tax dollars in campaigning. The letter cites their suit against Simon Leis and the Hamilton County Commissioners "over illegal use of tax dollars to campaign for the Super-sized Jail Tax."

The letter to Schmidt comes after Hamilton County Democratic chair Tim Burke sent a letter to the Committee on Official Standards of Conduct asking for an investigation of the matter.

Burke asked the committee to investigate whether Bennett made statements from a Congressional office, or use any resources provided by Congress. Burke further asks the committee to investigate whether Bennett's comments about a Schmidt fundraising letter constitute a solicitation of campaign contributions, and whether he did so from Congressional offices.

Bennett has spoken to PolitickerOH.com on behalf of Schmidt in several stories, including a story about the fundraising letter.  In these instances, Bennett spoke to PolitickerOH.com after normal business hours, and PolitickerOH.com cannot say with any certainty where Bennett was located during these conversations.

House Ethics call for Congressional staff members to refrain from using Congressional resources while engaging in political and campaign activity. Schmidt press secretary Bruce Pfaff said ethics stipulate that staff members are allowed to receive calls from reporters on Congressional time, but are not allowed to initiate them (Corrected from an earlier version).