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Even More on American’s for Prosperity: Shady Lobbyists |
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The Public Campaign Action Fund, a respected watchdog organization, has put out a great compilation of information on Americans for Prosperity, the latest organization to form an anti-health care astroturf campaign, Patients United Now.
As previously noted, AFP is funded by corporations to promote business-friendly policies. But did you know their current president specializes in astroturf campaigns and previously worked for the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff? So says the research from Public Campaign [pdf]:
According to the Colorado Independent, Phillips was “a political strategist and an associate of ex-Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed.” Phillips and Reed “formed the consulting firm Century Strategies that excelled in launching fake grassroots groups, known as Astroturf, for such luminaries as Enron, the People’s Republic of China and Indian casinos at the behest of now-jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.” Century Strategies also worked on Abramoff’s efforts to prevent stronger
worker protections in Saipan’s and the Mariana Islands’ sweatshops.
The dealings with Reed and Abramoff go farther than just astroturfing. Money-laundering was involved:
Ralph Reed directed $150,000 “to the Faith and Family Alliance, a Virginia political advocacy group [founded by Phillips],” according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “News reports at the time said one of those who set up the group was Tim Phillips, now vice president of Reed’s Century Strategies. Robin Vanderwall, head of the organization, told the Post he got a call from Century Strategies and was told he would receive a check from Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform. He was to deposit the check and write one for an identical amount and send it to Century Strategies. ‘I was operating as a shell,’ Vanderwall was quoted as saying. ‘I regret having had anything to do with it.’”
So, beyond the promotion of the teaparties and Joe the Plumber, the group behind Patients United Now is founded by an Abramoff henchmen with a history of money laundering and astroturfing.
Before you believe the fear-mongering Patients United Now and Americans for Prosperity are selling, look at who’s behind these groups. Corporations, disgraced lobbyists, and astroturf specialists. Between them and Rick Scott, it’s clear that this is best the anti-health care reform players can get, probably because America really wants health care reform.
(also posted at the NOW! blog)
