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Bonner Responds: Forged Letters Were Sent By "Temporary Employee"
Jack Bonner of Bonner Associates has responded to the news that an employee at his firm sent a forged letter purporting to come from a local Hispanic group, urging a congressman to oppose the recent climate change bill.
In a statement emailed to TPMmuckraker, Bonner wrote:
We take our business very seriously. A temporary employee--lied to us--and contrary to our policies sent these letters. We--no one else--we on our own found this out. We immediately fired the person. We then, called those effected, explained what happened and apologized. In the case of the group in the story--we did it in person and by letter.This should not have happened--we had a bad employee--but through our internal checks, we found the problem, and on our own initiative took the step to notify the affected group.
So Bonner seems to be acknowledging that the phony NAACP letters were also sent by his firm, in addition to the phony Hispanic group letter -- something that hadn't previously been confirmed.
We've asked Bonner for the identity of the client that his firm was representing, and whether anyone else knew in advance about the letter. We'll keep you posted.
Josh
Zachary
Temporary, Full-time, what difference does it make?
July 31, 2009 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Temporary as in their government run health care.
July 31, 2009 2:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I want to see that temp employee's long-form birth certificate.
July 31, 2009 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a written statement from a professional company? How many "we"s can they interject? Just how many grammatical errors did they want to include?
That looks like it's written by a sixth grader.
July 31, 2009 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought this was a gem:
We then, called those effected, explained what happened and apologized
July 31, 2009 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Was there a competition to see how many errors could be squeezed into one sentence, I wonder?
July 31, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Think Progress has done some digging Bonner has an interesting track record;
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/31/bonner-forgery/
July 31, 2009 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems to me that this temporary employee was engaged in the very same "strategic grassroots support to help you win" that Bonner's logo promises...if by "you", they mean Citicorp, Aetna, PhRMA, Dow Chemical, et al.
The veracity of Bonner's claim that they notified the affected group (note the use of the singular...a nice touch when later having to suggest that this rogue temp did the same thing with others without management's knowledge) should be verifiable with that group, and TPM should confirm the circumstances of Bonner's claim.
July 31, 2009 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly my thoughts.
July 31, 2009 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
if it was a rogue temp, how do they know how many and to whom they were sent? if they're as rogue as Bonner says, there could be many more.
also, aren't people like roger stone "temporary" employees wherever they work?
July 31, 2009 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Rogue temp" is shorthand for "The designated scapegoat who is a cut-out to be fired in order to insulate those higher in the organization when something like this is actually tracked back to the organization." As we all know "Scooter" Libby was Dick Cheney's designated scapegoat. Cheney himself was Bush's designate scapegoat. I wonder how deep the stack of scapegoats goes?
Needless to say, if no one spots such fakes and there is no risk to the company of exposure, then the employee who was designated as the scapegoat gets a bonus. Very probably such designated scapegoats quickly get hired at other firms with the concealed assistance of the company that fired them. They have proven their willingness to not only conduct such operations, but also to fall on their swords to protect the higher-ups.
I find it strange that being cynical about conservatives is not only normally extremely accurate, but also that it rarely leads to the very worst and most unbelievable of the ethical and legal atrocities conservatives actually conduct. We non-conservative cynics never seem to be able to match the conservative imagination.
July 31, 2009 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your analysis is spot on. When this stuff is discovered, the claim is always that it's rogue low-level people (think Abu Ghraib--think Watergate, even). It happens too often not to be by design.
July 31, 2009 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remind me – what is it that rolls downhill?
August 2, 2009 10:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
They say "We--no one else--we on our own found this out", and "We then, called those effected, explained what happened and apologized."
Who do they mean by "those effected"? Does this mean they contacted congressman Tom Perriello and the nonprofit Creciendo Juntos and informed them about the issue first? Or did they only admit to the behavior after they were caught? For that matter, has it been confirmed that they actually called the effected parties at all?
July 31, 2009 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
And what about those affected? Were they--with or without sentences ending in prepositions--also contacted and apologized to?
July 31, 2009 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
That was what jumped out at me, too, and reviewing the Charlottesville paper's article didn't shed any additional light. I'm betting that - since his "defense" of "mistake" is b.s. - they were "found out" by someone else. I hope that comes out quickly, and that Bonner is slammed to the full extent of the law. No place for that kinda crap!
July 31, 2009 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since government policy was potentially formulated based on bogus endorsements, were all citizens of the effected regions contacted, and apologized to? Mine must have gotten lost in the mail. Probably those damn Temps, mislabeling all the mail...
July 31, 2009 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I suspect the job posting went something like this:
"Temporary employee needed to forge letters from various organizations to legislators in support of our clients' interests. Duration of position: until we get caught, at which time you will be expected to provide us cover by getting fired.
Experience with Photoshop a plus."
July 31, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
You took the words right out of my mouth...
July 31, 2009 3:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah yes, the old frat boy defense. "What a shame that the reputation of an entire noble organization (we do charity work, you know) should have to suffer due to the totally unauthorized, uncondoned and spontaneous acts of a few individuals."
July 31, 2009 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. It's the few bad apples defense!
Also too.
July 31, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Bonner Associates was really embarassed by the rogue actions of a temp, then how about telling the press the NAME of the temp so they can determine if that's really how this happened?
July 31, 2009 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Individual was "temporary" in the sense that he/she no longer "works" there.
Much like the "overzealous volunteers" constantly popping up and doing bad things during the prior Admin.
July 31, 2009 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was thinking the same thing. I'd be willing to bet good money that they refuse to divulge their identity, on the basis of 'privacy'.
"Why do you liberals want this person to have their physical safety called into question so that you can go on your wild-goose chase? Can't you just leave this unnamed, non-existent person alone to live with their secrets in anonymity?"
July 31, 2009 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
This calls for an investigation by a major news organization. Do any of them have the independence and resources to do this? The company whose fax was used, Professional Risk Management, may not be as innocent as they act. It sells liability and other kinds of insurance to the health care industry. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?
July 31, 2009 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Astroturf grassroots is far from a cottage industry in DC. It's big business. Very big business.
Remember Freedom's Watch, a non-profit repped by Ari Fleisher? That was an astroturf creation of Alexandria, VA-based Democracy Data & Communications. Their slogan? "Your voice, amplified."
As you can see from Freedoms' Watch nonprofit filing, it can be a VERY lucrative business.
July 31, 2009 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
So Bonner is claiming that this same temp has been doing this stuff for the past 7 years? Or was it a different temp engineering the black charities and other scams?
Their defense is identical to the Bushco habit of blaming unidentified subordinates every time the shit hit the fan.
But the more important point is, outfits like this have no right to be in business, any more than any other scam artists. Taking America Back means getting rid of the lobbying business first.
July 31, 2009 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Its never their fault.
If you don't believe that, they'll swear on a stack of Bibles to prove it...
July 31, 2009 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jack Bonner is lying. I own a public relations firm on the West Coast. A temp or part-time employee has NEVER made those decisions for us. Never. A temp would never have access to the letters or the addresses where they go without Bonner's specific instructions.
July 31, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
My thoughts precisely. Why would a "temp" have access to that info? If it was gained illegally Bonner should be pressing charges, not calling pressers. Lying sack of shit- I only pray he pays for his duplicity.
August 2, 2009 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you read Jack Bonner's email above and then read the Hispanic group letter sent by Bonner Associates, both documents struggle with the proper use of commas in a similar way. Namely, they insert commas at weird places for no reason. This observation isn't definitive but it's pretty interesting in my opinion. My suspicion is that Bonner himself wrote this email. I'd be looking for proof that there really was an intern who was actually fired over this because I doubt that proof can be produced.
July 31, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pete, here's the way astro-turf groups work. Say you are a chemical company trying to protect additives that catch fire. You hire a PR firm who creates a "citizens" web site with testimonials from "regular citizens" and pay people to write OpEds to local newspapers and websites. Or you send letters from "regular people" to Congressman or regulators. It's a disgusting practice but pretty common.
July 31, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
HA! More circumstantial evidence Bonner himself wrote the letter! Read this sentence from Bonner's website:
Bonner & Associates, will help you effectively communicate and mobilize your internal grassroots effort in quality ways that reflect positively on your corporation, association or group. Internal grassroots efforts can include, but are not limited to: (http://www.bonnerandassociates.com/internal.htm)
Yet another misplaced comma! Just like in Bonner's letter and just like in the forged letter from the Hispanic group.
I wouldn't run any articles based on this pattern of course, but it is highly suggestive. These are unusual ways to misuse commas and it suggests, again, that a regular employee (not a low-level intern) wrote the letters in question. Possibly Bonner himself.
July 31, 2009 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I worked as a temp for years and I can assure you that no temp composed and sent out a letter on his or her own initiative. Temps have more than enough to do with their assigned tasks and know very well that to go beyond those tasks would cause them to be dropped by their temp agencies with horrible references for the future. Maligning a poor unfortunate temp for the misdeed is even more horrible than the misdeed itself.
July 31, 2009 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a Bonner & Associates job advertisement for, guess what, temporary employees:
http://list.msu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A3=ind0905&L=jmcinfo&P=398127&E=1&B=------%3D_NextPart_001_0050_01C9CD69.F245CA50&T=text%2Fhtml
The letter very well could have been "sent out" by a temporary employee (like one described in the announcement). As to who authored the letter, well that's open to interpretation.
And why isn't Bonner taking ownership here. He keeps using "we." Isn't it his name on the marquee? Isn't he boss?
July 31, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Further note: The temp has almost certainly been defamed and almost certainly has a cause of action against Bonner. He or she should find a firm that does good defamation work and try for pro bono representation. Or advertise on Craig's List for someone to do it. With all the laid off lawyers out there, there must be one who would take this on.
July 31, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Says right on their web site that sometimes they need to "alter the mix" to support "clients' positions credibly" by mobilizing "others".
http://www.bonnerandassociates.com/external.htm
July 31, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those NAACP letters really are a piece of work. Each of the four "different people" miraculously have the same handwriting.
July 31, 2009 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
The person who wrote that grammatically-challenged and error-laced letter RUNS A COMPANY???
They are not qualified to run a McDonalds.
July 31, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is horseshit. Bonner & Company are grassroots astroturfers, have a long history of doing it, and should be made poster children for tightening up the Lobbying Disclosure Act. Check this compilation, not conclusive but it's enough.
July 31, 2009 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't this a criminal act? Can I just impersonate anyone I want in a letter to my senator/congressman? Because I got some stuff that needs done here around the neighborhood.
July 31, 2009 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Would someone -- please -- explain -- this man's -- punctuation? Forget the dashes, he can't even use commas correctly. Someone is actually paying this bozo money to do something?
July 31, 2009 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe it's the 'temps do everything' defense.
"Look, we can't even get these hacks to write an apology letter well! How can you expect us to be at fault if these amateurs are pervading every aspect of our business?!"
July 31, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shatner's disease.
July 31, 2009 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
TPM, Please change the photo of Perriello. It makes it look like he's part of the lobbying firm and one of the forgers rather than one of the victims.
July 31, 2009 10:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
effected?
I believe the RNC is waging a war on the English Language.
August 1, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's part of the "Dumb Down America" GOP platform. Knowing that only backward, ignorant people are drawn to their party it's in their best interest to promote stupidity.
August 2, 2009 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink