Rep. Ed Markey, D, Mass., chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, has launched an investigation into reports of forged letters sent to the Hill to derail the energy bill.

Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Va., received several letters from Charlottesville, Va.-based organizations on faked letterhead urging him to vote against the cap and trade legislation, DailyProgress.com reported today. "This fraud on Congress shows that some opponents of clean energy have resorted to forgery and theft to block progress," Baucus said in a statement. "My select committee will immediately begin an investigation of the extent and scope of this activity."

DailyProgress.com reports that the letters came from non-existent individuals at several organizations, including the Hispanic advocacy group Creciendo Juntos and a local Virginia chapter of the NAACP. The publication also traced the letters back to the grassroots advocacy shop Bonner & Associates in Washington.

Bonner officials have not returned a call for comment but we will update this story if and when they respond.