In the Feb. 12 “Heard on the Hill” piece titled “Did the RNC Steal Its Beats for Anti-Senate Dems Ad From B.o.B and 2Chainz?” (Roll Call, Feb. 12, 2014) your publication insinuated that the Republican National Committee stole intellectual property for a series of ads.

It’s strange, though, that a reporter would make such a serious (and false) claim without calling us or emailing us to check the facts.

I appreciate that “Heard on the Hill” attempts to be funny, but being humorous doesn’t prevent one from following basic journalistic practices.

The false claim that we had violated copyright law resulted in a complaint being filed against us. That meant our staff had to spend significant time resolving the issue to show that (1) we did not use the song “Headband,” as you suggested and (2) we had paid for the use of the soundtrack in the ad.

A simple call or email would have saved a great deal of time and effort. It would also have shown that you have high standards for your reporters. Unfortunately, that’s now in question.

Next time you accuse us of stealing intellectual property — or using a song in an improper way — why don’t you  . . .  call me maybe?

— Sean Spicer, RNC communications director