A Florida-based Republican political firm with circumstantial ties to at least two nasty robocalling efforts this year isn’t quite as obscure as we thought.
In the last days of the 2006 elections, Direct Strategies, Inc. of Tallahassee saw its name connected to dirty-tricks robo calls in Nebraska and Pennsylvania. Run by two state-level GOP operatives, the firm did not appear to cut a swaggering figure in national politics.
Here’s the thing: according to filings with the state of Florida, “Direct Strategies, Inc.” doesn’t exist. It voluntarily dissolved in April 2005. In its place rose a new company, “Dutko Direct Strategies, Inc.,” which appears to be controlled by one of Washington’s largest lobby firms.
According to a 2006 annual report, “Dutko Direct Strategies” includes the members of the former Direct Strategies — two Florida Republicans named Van Poole and Will McKinley. But the company’s president, CEO, and CFO are employees of one of Washington, D.C.’s fastest-growing lobby shops, Dutko Worldwide. Its board chairman is Dutko’s biggest investor. Its official address is c/o the Dutko Group in Washington, D.C.
The robo calls in Nebraska and Pennsylvania which have been mentioned in relation to “Direct Strategies” were reported to be deliberate attempts to mislead their recipients to believe they originated from Democratic campaigns. The calls were made repeatedly to the same households, and sometimes in the early morning or late at night.
“Direct Strategies” peddles its services via a Web site, www.dsgop.com. “Direct Strategies is a provider of voter contact strategies and integrated call center services for Republican candidates and organizations,” the site states. It also touts the company’s “high-tech equipment with a large capacity to deliver pre-recorded calls.”
The site makes no mention of its connection to Dutko.
To date, there has been no direct evidence linking the misleading calls in Nebraska and Pennsylvania to Direct Strategies, only reported payments from Republican campaigns to the firm whose dates match up with reports of the calls. The state of Nebraska has announced it is investigating the calls.