NEW YORK -- Outgoing U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-Erie) has been the subject of several critical articles chastising the congressman for closing his constituent offices before his term is over.

On Saturday at the Pennsylvania Society, English fired back. He told PolitickerPA.com in an interview that the articles misconstrued reality, and he said they were "planted" by his victorious Democratic opponent, Kathy Dahlkemper.

"I am a little disappointed at all these stories," English said. Campaigns are supposed to end after Election Day, he said, and that hasn't been the case with Dahlkemper.

The congressman said his office closings simply follow the rules. Criticisms about his refusal to give letters of recommendation for local high school students seeking entry in a service academy are also incorrect, English said. The congressman wasn't going to be able to complete all the recommendations before his term expired, and he said he has worked with the academies to make sure the students aren't cheated out of acceptance.

"Everything about the transition has followed precisely the rules of the House," English said.

Congresswoman-elect Dahlkemper's interim spokeswoman, Tammy Roche, denied her office had anything to do with the stories. Members of Dahlkemper's transition team don't have the time to plant stories in the media amid a very busy transition to Washington, she said, and they aren't interested in putting themselves in the middle of this conflict.

"I would totally deny that," Roche said. "We really are beyond the campaign at this point."