Zachary Roth | November 4, 2009, 3:16PM

Jack Bonner, Bonner & Associates, and James Thurber, American University

When he was hauled before Congress last week for sending those forged letters to lawmakers on climate change, astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner pledged to make sure that no similar event ever happened again. As a centerpiece of that effort, Bonner announced that his firm had retained James Thurber, an American University political science professor, to act as an "independent ethics adviser."

Bonner assured lawmakers that the new adviser "is well-regarded as maintaining the highest ethical standards and independence," and "will review our policies and work with us to continue to improve our internal quality control system to the highest standards." All in all, it sounded like a good idea.

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Topics: ACCCE, Bonner & Associates, Jack Bonner, James Thurber, Lobbyists

Global Warming

Could Coal Lobby Chief Be Probed For Perjury?

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 4:49PM

CEO of ACCCE Steve Miller

Could apparently false statements made by the head of a coal-industry lobby group before Congress this morning end up being referred to the Justice Department for a criminal perjury probe? Congressional investigators aren't ruling it out.

As we reported, Steve Miller, the director of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), appears to have twice misled Congress while under oath during his testimony this morning over those forged letters sent on the coal lobby's behalf by Bonner and Associates.

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Topics: ACCCE, Alberto Gonzales, Astroturf, Bradley Schlozman, Global Warming, Justice Department, Lobbyists, Perjury, Steve Miller, U.S. Attorneys

Global Warming

Did ACCCE Chief Mislead Congress Again?

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 12:50PM

Did Steve Miller of ACCCE just mislead Congress for the second time this morning?

Miller just told Rep. Ed Markey's committee that his group did not lobby the federal government until April 2008.

But online records show lobby spending by Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) -- the name that ACCCE previously used -- going back to 2001.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Global Warming, Lobbyists, Steve Miller

Ed Markey

Markey To Coal Lobby: You Should Have Told Lawmakers About Forged Letters

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 12:23PM

Rep. Ed Markey is putting blame for the forged letters episode where it ultimately belongs: on the coal lobby.

"You're responsbility was to ensure that the members of Congress knew that this information was fraudulent," Markey tells ACCCE chief Steve Miller.

Miller had just said he assumed that Bonner himself would have notified the affected lawmakers. But Markey adds that Bonner was very far down the food chain.

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Topics: ACCCE, Ed Markey, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

Global Warming

Did ACCCE Chief Lie To Congress?

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 11:34AM

Steve Miller of ACCCE just told the Markey committee that his firm never opposed the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation.

But look at this Greenwire story, via the New York Times, from last month ... and especially this "clarification."

Clarification: This story was changed to state that ACCCE opposed Waxman-Markey. An ACCCE spokeswoman in an interview Wednesday said that ACCCE was not opposed to Waxman-Markey but later in the day said that was an error and ACCCE at the time of the vote opposed the bill.

So clearly there's been confusion about this before. But it looks like Miller just said something that's flatly not true.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Ed Markey, Global Warming, Lobbyists

Jay Inslee

Inslee To Coal Rep: As "Penance," Run Ads In Support Of CO2 Regulation -- And Tell Inhofe Too

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 11:25AM

Rep. Inslee is now telling Steve Miller of ACCCE that as "penance" for the forged letter fiasco, his group should tell Sen. James Inhofe that we need to take serious efforts to limit global warming legislation.

And that they should run an ad that says at the top: "We need CO2 regulation in America and we need it fast."

Miller, unsurprisingly, is unwiling to do this.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Bonner & Associates, Jack Bonner, Jay Inslee, Lobbyists

ACCCE

Inslee: Bonner Phone Script Is "Wholly Wrong And Fraudulent"

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 11:11AM

Jack Bonner

Both lawmakers and the other witnesses are now lambasting Bonner on two of his claims: that he didn't know when the vote was, and that he didn't know which members of Congress were swing votes on the issue.

One witness from a community group points out that any grassroots lobbying firm worth it's salt would know these things, and calls Bonner's claims "disingenuous."

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Topics: ACCCE, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

ACCCE

ACCCE: We're Done With Bonner

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 10:36AM

Steve Miller, the head of ACCCE, is testifying about the forged letters which were sent on behalf of the coal-industry lobby he runs.

Among other things, Miller said that Bonner would not be paid for its work for ACCCE, and would never work for them again.

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Topics: ACCCE, Global Warming, Jack Bonner

ACCCE

Perriello: Don't Hide Behind Front Groups

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 10:30AM

We're watching the Congressional hearings on those forged letters to lawmakers sent by an astroturf lobbying group working on behalf of a coal-industry lobby group.

And Rep. Tom Perriello, who received some of the forged letters and was first to testify, just had a nice flourish that's worth highlighting.

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Topics: ACCCE, Bonner & Associates, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Tom Perriello

ACCCE

Coal Lobby Paid $7 Million To PR Firm That Hired Bonner

Evan McMorris-Santoro and Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 9:32AM

Jack Bonner

A coal industry group paid over $7 million last fiscal year to the company that hired Bonner & Associates, the astroturf lobbying firm behind those forged letters to Congress. That's according to internal documents obtained by congressional investigators and examined by TPMmuckraker.

Jack Bonner, the founder of the firm that bears his name, will go before a Congressional committee this morning to explain how those letters -- which purported to come from local community groups, and urged lawmakers to oppose climate change legislation -- got sent.
Bonner has blamed the letters on a temporary employee, since fired, and claimed that it was a "victim of fraud" itself.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Bonner & Associates, Ed Markey, Global Warming, Hawthorn Group, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists, Tom Perriello

Global Warming

Behind Chamber Controversy: What's Driving Energy Firms On Climate Change?

Zachary Roth | October 15, 2009, 3:52PM

Lately, we've been documenting the exodus of companies from the Chamber of Commerce over its opposition to serious efforts to address global warming.

But as the Senate gets set to take up climate change legislation, already passed by the House, there's a larger question behind the Chamber's woes: What's motivating energy-sector companies on both sides of the issue, and how are their positions affecting the debate on Capitol Hill?

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Topics: ACCCE, Exelon, GE, Global Warming, Lobbyists, Oil, PG&E

ACCCE

Bonner Hearing Postponed After GOP Complaints

Zachary Roth | October 15, 2009, 10:13AM

Jack Bonner

Not so fast...

This morning's hearing, at which astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner was scheduled to testify about the forged letters sent by his firm to lawmakers, has been postponed a week.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Ed Markey, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

Bonner & Associates

Bonner To Testify On Forged Letters

Zachary Roth | October 14, 2009, 11:16AM

Jack Bonner

Astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner will testify tomorrow in front of a Congressional panel investigating the forged letters his firm sent this summer, according to a witness list for the hearing obtained by TPMmuckraker. Also testifying will be Steve Miller, the CEO of the coal industry group that had hired Bonner to gin up opposition to climate-change legislation.

This summer, Bonner & Associates sent forged letters to several lawmakers, urging them to oppose the legislation. The letters, sent on behalf of Bonner's client, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, purported to come from local minority, senior, women, and veterans groups. Bonner has blamed the letters on a temporary employee, but as we've shown, his firm's modus operandi makes such occurrences all but inevitable.

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Topics: ACCCE, American Association of University Women, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, Astroturf, Bonner & Associates, Jack Bonner, NAACP, Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Steve Miller, Tom Perriello

Astroturf

Congress To Hold Hearing On Bonner's Forged Letters

Zachary Roth | October 13, 2009, 2:27PM

Jack Bonner

This should be fun...

A congressional panel will hold a hearing Thursday into those forged letters urging lawmakers to oppose climate change legislation. The letters purported to come from minority, senior, and veterans' groups, but in fact were sent by Bonner & Associates, a GOP-aligned astroturf lobbying firm, on behalf of a coal industry client.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Ed Markey, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

ACCCE

Yet Another Forged Climate Change Letter From Bonner

Zachary Roth | September 10, 2009, 3:20PM

Jack Bonner

Congressional investigators have found yet another forged letter to a lawmaker -- purporting to be from a local group, but really sent by the DC astroturf lobbying firm Bonner & Associates on behalf of a coal industry client -- criticizing climate change legislation. That brings the known total to fourteen, sent to at least three different members of Congress.

The new letter is on the letterhead of an American Legion post in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Like many of the others, it was sent to Rep. Tom Perriello. It asks the Democratic congressman to "make sure the Waxman-Markey bill includes provisions to promote American energy independence, while protecting already cash-strapped constituents from increases in electricity prices." It concludes, "Thank you for listening to concerns of vets in your district."

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Topics: ACCCE, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

ACCCE

Liberal Groups Set Up Hotline For Forged Letters

Zachary Roth | September 3, 2009, 5:06PM

Jack Bonner

Supporters of action on climate change are still working to make hay out of those forged letters, sent by a Washington lobbying firm opposing a recent climate change bill.

The National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, American Progress Action Fund, the NAACP and the AAUW, a women's rights group, have set up a "hotline" where callers can leave tips about forged letters and other suspected trickery by industry lobbyists, reports The Hill.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

ACCCE

Bonner Paid Productivity Bonus To Employee Who Forged Letter

Zachary Roth | August 28, 2009, 3:28PM

Jack Bonner

We've now obtained the letter to Congress from Bonner's lawyer that we told you about earlier -- in which Bonner hilariously claims that its client, a coal industry group, was the "victim of a fraud" stemming from the forged letters to lawmakers about the climate change bill.

The letter, from Akin Gump lawyer Steven Ross to Rep. Ed Markey, can be seen here.

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Topics: ACCCE, Astroturf, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

ACCCE

Bonner: We're The Real Victims Of Forged Letters!

Zachary Roth | August 28, 2009, 11:31AM

Jack Bonner

The story of those forged letters to lawmakers sent by a Washington lobby firm has taken another interesting turn.

Bonner and Associates, the firm that sent the letters on behalf of a coal industry client, is now trying to imply that the employee responsible deliberately engineered the episode to discredit Bonner -- but is offering no evidence to support that notion.

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Topics: ACCCE, Global Warming, Jack Bonner, Lobbyists

Jack Bonner

Coal Industry Group Responds To Congress On Forged Letters -- But Won't Give Details

Zachary Roth | August 14, 2009, 9:57AM

The coal industry lobbying group on whose behalf those forged letters were written has responded in part to a congressional inquiry about the matter -- but won't offer any details.

Roll Call reports (sub. req.) that the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity last night wrote to Rep. Ed Markey, who last week asked for answers from the group about the episode. But ACCCE wouldn't make its letter public, nor would it say whether it had found any additional forged letters, beyond the ones already reported on.