Campaign mailers supporting Republican state Senate candidate Scott Ortis have been found discarded in a pond in the Greystone area and the United States Postal Service is now investigating.

The discovery, first reported by 1819 News, was made as Ortis challenges two-term incumbent State Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook). The Greystone community sits within the district, which spans portions of Jefferson and Shelby counties.

In a statement, Ortis expressed full confidence in the federal investigation.

“I am thankful that the Inspector General’s Office is taking this matter seriously and investigating how our mailers ended up in a pond. As Americans, we need to be able to trust our election process,” Ortis said. “Bad actors interfering with our elections is unacceptable and I am optimistic that the investigation will lead to the person responsible.”

Tampering with political mail is a federal crime. The USPS Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service both have authority to pursue criminal charges in such cases.

Ortis, a retired businessman and founder of Solutions Infusion Therapy, entered the race last December calling for term limits and limited government. He has since earned the endorsement of the Business Council of Alabama’s political arm, ProgressPAC.

USPS has not yet commented publicly on the investigation.