American Future Fund

GOP Group Undermining Robo-Call Laws Has Ties To DCI

Zachary Roth | November 24, 2009, 5:37PM

American Future Fund (AFF), the shadowy conservative advocacy group that's working to undermine state laws against robo-calling, has ties to DCI Group, a Republican lobbying firm with a reputation for dirty tricks and shady clients. And a closer look at AFF suggests the group has been designed to carry out political attacks while escaping scrutiny from the press and public.

AFF paid $249,000 last year to McKenna & Associates for fundraising work, according to a copy of AFF's 990 form for 2008 that was obtained by TPMmuckraker. The Arlington, Virginia-based firm is run by Andrew McKenna, a GOP operative and former senior vice-president of DCI Group. McKenna did not immediately respond to TPMmuckraker's request for comment.

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James Thurber

Did Thurber Ever Sign On As Bonner's Ethics Adviser?

Zachary Roth | November 9, 2009, 12:07PM

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

Did American University professor James Thurber ever sign on to act as an independent ethics adviser for astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner, in the wake of the scandal over those forged letters to lawmakers on climate change? The two principals can't seem to agree.

Thurber has now backed out of the gig, after an ad he ran in Roll Call praising Bonner raised questions about how independent he could truly be. But how firm was the arrangement in the first place?

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Astroturf

Bonner's 'Independent' Ethics Adviser Backs Out Over Ad Flap

Zachary Roth | November 6, 2009, 1:38PM

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

The "independent" ethics adviser that astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner told Congress he'd retained in the wake of the flap over those forged letters to lawmakers has backed out of the role, citing the TPMmuckraker-driven fallout over an ad he placed this week praising Bonner.

James Thurber, a long-time political science professor at American University, told National Journal he'll recommend a different ethics adviser for Bonner's firm, and noted:

I teach a class on ethics and lobbying and I have never had anything like this. There have been articles about this and I have received phone calls. I never am going to do [ads] like this again, thanking people. I'll do it through personal correspondence.

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Jack Bonner

University Probing Ad Placed By Bonner's "Independent" Ethics Adviser

Zachary Roth | November 5, 2009, 9:15AM

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

American University is investigating the ad praising astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner that ran in Roll Call yesterday in the name of one of the school's department's.

"The university is aware of the ad and is looking into the facts of the situation," a university spokeswoman told TPMmuckraker. "The university does not endorse individuals or organizations."

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Media

Newsweek And Oil Lobby Team Up To Host Climate Change Event With Lawmakers

Zachary Roth | November 4, 2009, 11:29AM

Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute

Newsweek magazine is teaming up with an oil-industry lobbying group to host an event on climate-change and energy issues involving lawmakers, just as the Senate gets set to take up legislation on the subject.

The panel discussion, entitled "Climate and Energy Policy: Moving?," will feature Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, and, as moderator, Newsweek columnist Howard Fineman, according to an email invitation sent by a Newsweek business staffer and obtained by TPMmuckraker.

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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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Astroturf

Bonner Testimony

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 10:58AM

Jack Bonner

Here's Jack Bonner's complete testimony about those forged letters.

In a nutshell: we should have checked resumes closer. And we shouldn't hire liars.

Jack Bonner

Bonner: We Should Have Notified Lawmakers Right Away

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 10:54AM

Jack Bonner

Perhaps Bonner's biggest problem here is that he learned about the forged letters before the vote on global warming legislation, but didn't notify the affected lawmakers until after.

Here's what Bonner said in his testimony on that point:

While our immediate focus upon learning of this fraud was to reach out and apologize to the organizations whose names were used without authorization, on July 1, 2009, we contacted the offices of two of the three Members of Congress who received fabricated letters. After numerous attempts and the intervening Congressional recess, it was not until July 13, 2009, that one of our staff finally succeeded in directly speaking with Congressional staff for Rep. Perriello and Rep. Dahlkemper about this matter although it appears that Rep. Carney's office, which received one letter, was not contacted. In retrospect, we should have immediately contacted all three offices and apologized in person.

And he's now being grilled on that point by Chairman Ed Markey. "I should have personally sat there to make sure the message got through," Bonner admits.

Bonner claims he didn't know the date of the vote. But Markey seems to find that hard to believe, given the high-profile nature of the vote.

You can read Bonner's full testimony here.

Global Warming

Bonner: "This Incident Was An Anomaly"

Zachary Roth | October 29, 2009, 10:48AM

Jack Bonner

Jack Bonner is testifying now. And he's not backing down too much.

This incident was an anomaly and the result of an individual who from his first day at work, intentionally disregarded our procedures and instructions and was determined to engage in fraudulent activity.

...

Let one thing be very clear: this improper activity was undertaken without the knowledge or permission of anyone at our firm. These were the actions of one rogue temporary employee, acting against our company's policy and without the knowledge of anyone else at Bonner & Associates.

In other words, don't blame us.

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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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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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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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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Health Care

Obama Admin. Suggests Other Health Insurers May Be Getting Customers To Lobby Against Reform

Zachary Roth | September 22, 2009, 10:08AM

Is Humana just the tip of the iceberg?

Yesterday we reported on the campaign by health insurer Humana Inc. to enlist beneficiaries to lobby lawmakers against a key cost-saving measure in Sen. Max Baucus's health-reform bill. Humana's letters to its customers, urging them to contact their member of Congress, are currently being probed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which contracts with Humana, among other firms, to provide Medicare Advantage.

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Health Care

Health Insurer Probed For Enlisting Beneficiaries To Fight Reform Proposal

Zachary Roth | September 21, 2009, 12:19PM

Health insurer Humana Inc. portrays itself as a guide through the treacherous waters of health-care coverage. The company's tagline is "Guidance When You Need It Most," and switchboard operators at its Louisville headquarters answer the phone by asking callers: "How can I guide you?"

But is Humana guiding its customers a little too much in enlisting them to oppose a key aspect of health-care reform?

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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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Howard Kaloogian

Legendary GOP Bamboozler Hitches Wagon To Tea Party Brand

Zachary Roth | September 1, 2009, 2:56PM

Howard Kaloogian

Remember Howard Kaloogian? He was the Republican House candidate who in 2006 tried to pass off a picture of a quiet Istanbul street as having been taken during a trip he made to Baghdad -- then told a string of additional lies in trying to explain what happened.

Well, he's back. And this time he's taking the bamboozlement to a whole new level.

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Astroturf

Contra Bonner's Claim, Local Groups Say Lobby Firm Never Contacted Them

Zachary Roth | August 31, 2009, 12:25PM

Jack Bonner

Did Bonner & Associates flat-out lie to Congress about informing lawmakers and constituent groups of those forged letters it sent?

In a letter to Rep. Ed Markey that we posted late last week, Bonner lawyer Steven Ross wrote that in the days after Bonner discovered the forged letters, the firm "personally contacted each of the eight organizations that were defrauded."

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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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