WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Democratic Party leader is accusing Republican Secretary of State Tom Schedler of encouraging claims that President Barack Obama was born outside the United States and doesn't meet the qualifications to be president - a claim proven to be unfounded.

Schedler's office posted a letter on its official Facebook page this month, directing any inquiries about Obama's citizenship to Congress. Schedler's office says it has received hundreds of questions about the issue, but has no discretion to determine the qualifications of a candidate.

Democratic Party Chairman Buddy Leach says Schedler was using his office to launch partisan attacks on the President and to pander to what Leach called "extremists."

Schedler says it is his duty to respond to questions to his office. But the post has since disappeared from Facebook.