A California county tax assessor makes excuses for sending out 544 pieces of official mail marked "Let's Go Brandon"

I just finished listening to a podcast series about how local officials in Stanislaus County used the courts to kill pretty much a public defender they didn't like. The excuse-making here and the likelihood of these stamped envelopes being wholly overlooked and making it out into the wild suggests a broad problem.

"No political agenda behind the message." There is only a political agenda behind that message, dude.

CBS Sacto:

Gaekle says there was no political agenda behind the message. He says ABS Direct, a contractor, printed the envelopes in error and has since apologized. Gaekle says the county not only doesn't condone such messages, but he says they don't belong on official government business.

"We're a nonpartisan government office doing the taxpayer's business, and we apologize that this mistake offended taxpayers, and we want to make sure that it never happens again," said Gaekle.

Boese says an apology isn't enough.

"How could this be a printing error? It's stamped on every envelope on the back," said Boese. "Somebody needs to realize this was illegal, and it's just not good."