Forti, Carl BRGp

=see rove crossroadsdubke AJSsee black rock group PRmrs matt rhoadeswife ex gop strat now at blackrock carl forti dubke=lil sis<div class="row profile-page-subcategory-relationships collapse show businesses-collapse" id="profile-page-businesses-content" data-controller="profile--subcategory-toggle" data-subcategory="businesses" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x));"><div class="col" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 0 0%; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y);"><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/68726-Black_Rock_Group" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">Black Rock Group</a> Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Firm</div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283200" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Founding Partner</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-subcategory mt-2" data-turbo="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x));"><div class="col" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 0 0%; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y);"><h2 class="profile-page-subcategory-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; cursor: default;"><span class="subcategory-title" data-controller="subcategory-translation" data-subcategory-translation-locale-value="en" data-subcategory-translation-subcategory-value="positions" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Positions <i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;" /></h2><div class="profile-page-subcategory-pagination collapse show positions-collapse" id="profile-page-positions-pagination" data-controller="profile--subcategory-pagination" data-profile--subcategory-pagination-total-pages-value="1" data-profile--subcategory-pagination-page-value="1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="row profile-page-subcategory-relationships collapse show positions-collapse" id="profile-page-positions-content" data-controller="profile--subcategory-toggle" data-subcategory="positions" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x));"><div class="col" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 0 0%; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y);"><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/59343-American_Crossroads" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">American Crossroads</a> Super PAC that raises funds from donors to advocate for certain candidates of the Republican Party.</div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283201" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Political Director</a></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/68722-Americans_for_Job_Security" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">Americans for Job Security</a> "Pro Paycheck" public policy non-profit organization</div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283203" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Consultant</a></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/45555-Freedom's_Watch_Inc" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">Freedom's Watch Inc</a> A Washington DC based 501 lobbying organization</div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283205" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Executive Vice President for Issue Advocacy (past)</a></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28823-Romney_for_President_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">Romney for President Inc.</a></div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283204" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Deputy Campaign Manager – Political Director</a></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283202" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Communications Director (past)</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-subcategory mt-2" data-turbo="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x));"><div class="col" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 0 0%; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y);"><h2 class="profile-page-subcategory-heading" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; cursor: default;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-title" data-controller="subcategory-translation" data-subcategory-translation-locale-value="en" data-subcategory-translation-subcategory-value="campaign_contributions" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Federal Election Campaign Contributions <span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;" /></h2><div class="profile-page-subcategory-pagination collapse show campaign_contributions-collapse" id="profile-page-campaign_contributions-pagination" data-controller="profile--subcategory-pagination" data-profile--subcategory-pagination-total-pages-value="1" data-profile--subcategory-pagination-page-value="1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><turbo-frame id="profile-page-businesses" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><turbo-frame id="profile-page-positions" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><turbo-frame id="profile-page-campaign_contributions" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></turbo-frame></turbo-frame><div class="row profile-page-subcategory-relationships collapse show campaign_contributions-collapse" id="profile-page-campaign_contributions-content" data-controller="profile--subcategory-toggle" data-subcategory="campaign_contributions" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x));"><div class="col" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 0 0%; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y);"><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/person/34136-Mitt_Romney" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">Mitt Romney</a> U.S. senator from Utah, former Massachusetts governor</div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/564071" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">3 contributions · 7,500 USD ('11→'12)</a></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/68729-West_Virginia_Republican_Party,_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">West Virginia Republican Party, Inc.</a></div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283199" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">1 contribution · 1,260 USD ('08)</a></div></div></div><div class="row profile-page-grouped-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; --bs-gutter-x: 1.5rem; --bs-gutter-y: 0; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--bs-gutter-y)); margin-right: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); margin-left: calc(-0.5 * var(--bs-gutter-x)); padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.25em; border-top: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221);"><div class="profile-page-other-entity" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://littlesis.org/person/28776-George_W_Bush" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 700;">George W Bush</a> 43rd US president, ex-governor of Texas, son of George H W Bush</div><div class="profile-page-relationships" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-shrink: 0; width: 759.99px; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); padding-left: calc(var(--bs-gutter-x) * 0.5); margin-top: var(--bs-gutter-y); line-height: 16px;"><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">• <a href="https://littlesis.org/relationships/283198" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">1 contribution · 1,000 USD ('03)</a></div><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">
</div><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">----</div><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><span class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">common orgs 1 0f 2</div><div class="ps-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 0.5rem !important;"><table class="table no-top-border" id="entity-connections-table" data-controller="tooltip" style="caption-side: bottom; border-collapse: collapse; --bs-table-bg: transparent; --bs-table-accent-bg: transparent; --bs-table-striped-color: #212529; --bs-table-striped-bg: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); --bs-table-active-color: #212529; --bs-table-active-bg: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); --bs-table-hover-color: #212529; --bs-table-hover-bg: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.075); width: 735.99px; margin-bottom: 1rem; vertical-align: top; border-color: rgb(222, 226, 230); margin-top: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 2px 0px 0px; border-style: solid; border-top-color: currentcolor; vertical-align: inherit;"><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Communications Director, Crossroads GPS" href="https://littlesis.org/person/116970-Jonathan_Collegio" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Jonathan Collegio</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a>, <a href="https://littlesis.org/org/59343-American_Crossroads" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">American Crossroads</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Trump White House communications director; lobbyist, co-founder of Black Rock Group, Crossroads Media" href="https://littlesis.org/person/68723-Michael_Dubke" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Michael Dubke</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/68722-Americans_for_Job_Security" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Job Security</a>, <a href="https://littlesis.org/org/68726-Black_Rock_Group" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Black Rock Group</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="" veteran="Veteran" gop="GOP" kingmaker="kingmaker" former="former" borough="borough" president="president" of="of" staten="Staten" island="Island" href="https://littlesis.org/person/12641-Guy_Victor_Molinari" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Guy Victor Molinari</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28823-Romney_for_President_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Romney for President Inc.</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="US Representative from Texas" href="https://littlesis.org/person/13582-Pete_Sessions" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Pete Sessions</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="President of Mattoon & Associates and Former Administrative Assistant for John Grotberg" href="https://littlesis.org/person/17455-Daniel_Mattoon" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Daniel Mattoon</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Lobbyist" href="https://littlesis.org/person/17654-Bruce_P_Mehlman" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Bruce P Mehlman</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Founder of Judicial Watch" href="https://littlesis.org/person/46388-Larry_Klayman" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Larry Klayman</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/45555-Freedom's_Watch_Inc" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Freedom's Watch Inc</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Former Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush" href="https://littlesis.org/person/46420-Brad_Blakeman" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Brad Blakeman</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/45555-Freedom's_Watch_Inc" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Freedom's Watch Inc</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="President, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS and former general counsel to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce" href="https://littlesis.org/person/66379-Steven_J_Law" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Steven J Law</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/59343-American_Crossroads" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">American Crossroads</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="USPS Board of Governors chairman. former president & CEO of ACCCE, ex-RNC Chairman, American Crossroads Chairman" href="https://littlesis.org/person/68746-Mike_Duncan" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Mike Duncan</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/59343-American_Crossroads" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">American Crossroads</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Political Operative, Secretary, American Crossroads" href="https://littlesis.org/person/68818-Jim_Dyke" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Jim Dyke</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/59343-American_Crossroads" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">American Crossroads</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="International Sales Manager, Spancrete Machinery Corporation, Wukesha WI" href="https://littlesis.org/person/76010-Terence_Dittrich" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Terence Dittrich</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28823-Romney_for_President_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Romney for President Inc.</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Founder and CEO, TargetPoint Consulting" href="https://littlesis.org/person/98862-Alexander_P_Gage" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Alexander P Gage</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28823-Romney_for_President_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Romney for President Inc.</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Board Member, Crossroads GPS | Former Executive Director, National Republican Congressional Committee" href="https://littlesis.org/person/98983-Sally_Vastola" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Sally Vastola</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Of Counsel, Covington & Burling | former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense" href="https://littlesis.org/person/100706-Roger_Zakheim" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Roger Zakheim</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28823-Romney_for_President_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Romney for President Inc.</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Former RNC Chief Financial Officer; Crosby Ottenhoff Group" href="https://littlesis.org/person/102340-Caleb_Crosby" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Caleb Crosby</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/59343-American_Crossroads" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">American Crossroads</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Jones Day lawyer | Former general counsel to the Trump campaign" href="https://littlesis.org/person/116986-Don_McGahn" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Don McGahn</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="Lobbyist | former official, Department of Education" href="https://littlesis.org/person/129111-Christina_Culver" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Christina Culver</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28823-Romney_for_President_Inc." style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Romney for President Inc.</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="President, Americans for Job Security" href="https://littlesis.org/person/133898-Stephen_DeMaura" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Stephen DeMaura</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/68722-Americans_for_Job_Security" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Job Security</a></td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><td class="connected-entity-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg); width: 220.792px;"><a data-tooltip-target="trigger" data-placement="top" data-title="US Representative from Minnesota (2015-present)" href="https://littlesis.org/person/140380-Tom_Emmer" data-bs-original-title="" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">Tom Emmer</a></td><td class="connecting-entities-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-color: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0.5rem; background-color: var(--bs-table-bg); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 9999px var(--bs-table-accent-bg);"><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/28803-National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">National Republican Congressional Committee</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">=<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><a href="https://shadowproof.com/2009/11/01/big-pharma-front-group-60-plus-scaring-seniors-with-2m-ad-buy/">https://shadowproof.com/2009/11/01/big-pharma-front-group-60-plus-scaring-seniors-with-2m-ad-buy/</a><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">In a new <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3TTcbYggfg" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">television ad</a> out this week, the group “60 Plus” asserts that seniors would lose access to doctors, treatments, and life-saving drugs if the Democratic health care plan is adopted. The group, with ties to the national GOP and almost fully funded by the pharmaceutical industry, is <a href="http://www.60plus.org/news.asp?DocID=532" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">pumping $2 million dollars</a> into airing the ad in eight states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">The ad includes the standard scare tactics about proposed cuts to Medicare “to pay for a plan that could lead to a government takeover of health care.” An older man pleads at the end of the ad, “Don’t make us pay for health care reform by cutting Medicare. We’ve sacrificed enough.” The ad targets individual Senators in those eight states, Democrats and Republicans who are potential swing votes on health care. This is an extension of ads from 60 Plus that started back in August. They’ve also sent out mailers to seniors featuring similar dire warnings.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">Not mentioned in the ad is the makeup of the organization <a href="http://www.60plus.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">60 Plus</a>, a kind of conservative counter to the AARP. Among their past contributions to the national debate are advocacy against the “death tax” and for “saving Social Security,” which they label as their top priorities. And their <a href="http://www.60plus.org/about.asp" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">website</a> claims that 60 Plus is “a non-partisan seniors advocacy group.” But the ties to national Republicans and industry lobbyists are numerous, as the Center for Media and Democracy’s <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=60_Plus_Association" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">Sourcewatch</a> has detailed.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">According to Sourcewatch, Jim Martin, the President of 60 Plus, has a long affiliation with the Republican Party and “claims to have given then-‘Texas Gov. George W. Bush his first political job … way back in 1967.’ ” The PR contact on the <a href="http://www.60plus.org/news.asp?DocID=532" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">press release touting their latest ad</a> is Carl Forti, the former communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, national political director for Mitt Romney’s 2008 Presidential campaign, and the executive VP at FreedomWatch, which has been active in the tea party movement and the anti-health care town hall meetings back in August. Forti now runs <a href="http://www.blackrockgrp.com/teambio.php" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">the Black Rock Group</a>, which he founded. <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23511.html" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">This Politico article</a> details Forti and Black Rock’s key involvement in trying to exploit a loophole in FEC rules to basically gut campaign finance law and allow “individual corporations to coordinate with no restrictions their own advertising and direct mail attacks on candidates.”<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">And that really looks like what 60 Plus is already doing, to some extent. 60 Plus has been a front group for the pharmaceutical industry since its inception. It was part of a coalition called <a href="http://www.citizen.org/congress/reform/drug_industry/contribution/articles.cfm?ID=4538" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">Citizens for Better Medicare</a>financed mainly with pharma money, which spent around $65 million dollars during the 2000 elections. That relationship has only expanded from there, with 60 Plus aiding fights at the state and national level for the drug lobby. From Sourcewatch:<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 25px;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">In 2002, 60 Plus fought state legislation that would create formularies, or lists of preferred, lower-cost prescription drugs for Medicaid patients. 60 Plus fought “such legislation in Minnesota and New Mexico,” with assistance from the Bonner & Associates firm, which specializes in astroturf lobbying. “The firm’s paid callers, reading from scripts that identified them as representatives of 60 Plus, urged residents to ask their governors to veto the legislation. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. later said it had paid Bonner & Associates to make the calls,” reported AARP. At the time, 60 Plus president Jim Martin denied “anyone was misled. ‘The callers had an outline,’ said Martin. ‘This is an important issue that impacts people’s health.'”<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">“In its 2001 fiscal year, 60 Plus got a total of $275,000 from PhRMA (the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), CBM (Citizens for Better Medicare) and three drug companies (Merck, Pfizer and Wyeth-Ayerst) plus another $300,000 from Hanwha International Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of a Korean conglomerate with chemical and pharmaceutical interests — amounts that made up about 29 percent of its revenue,” reported AARP.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">60 Plus supported a lawsuit by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America against the state of Maine (in a “friend of the court” brief) for daring to try to pass a law that will authentically reduce prices for Medicare drugs by allowing the state to buy in bulk directly from manufacturers. It has also joined a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission regarding campaign reform (specifically in support of soft money for issue ads).<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">In the 2002 election campaigns, 60 Plus paid for issue ads on local radio and TV stations across the country saying that local Republican candidates “care for seniors” so much that they “passed a prescription drug bill” that “saved us from an inept government bureaucracy meddling with health plan benefits.”</blockquote><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">Bonner and Associates, you recall, is the group which <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/astroturf-king-jack-bonners-long-history-deceitful-grassroots-lobbying" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">sent fake letters to members of Congress opposing climate and energy legislation</a>, the recent subject of a Congressional investigation.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">In a sense, 60 Plus exists in a long continuum with other conservative movement front groups and recipients of corporate money. They <a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/profile.cfm?org_id=27" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">date back</a> to direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie, and they have ties to conservative movement types like Jack Abramoff, according to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XChjPdm470&feature=player_embedded" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">this report by Rachel Maddow</a>. They have multiple connections to GOP lobbyists and movement types, including <a href="http://seminal.shadowproof.wpengine.com/diary/7223" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">the former head of the Virginia Republican Party</a>. And in an amusing additional bit of information, the current national spokesman for 60 Plus is Republican activist and alleged entertainer Pat Boone.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">But clearly, the wing of the conservative movement funding 60 Plus and directing its attacks is the pharmaceutical lobby. <a href="http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/pulling_strings_from.html" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">AARP</a> did the definitive work on this subject a few years back, finding that “virtually all of (60 Plus’) largest contributions in recent years have come from the same source—the nation’s pharmaceutical industry.” In 2002, 60 Plus received 91% of its total revenue – $11 million dollars – from <a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/profile.cfm?org_id=27" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">one undisclosed donor</a>, which the Washington Post <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-405298.html" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a> lined up perfectly with “an unrestricted educational grant” to 60 Plus from PhRMa, the drugmaker lobby group. Jim Martin, the 60 Plus President, has acknowledged in interviews that it received money from pharmaceuticals, saying “I wish it was more.”<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">A call to Carl Forti, the spokesman for the new 60 Plus ad, was not returned.<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">==<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">

<i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".positions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"><i class="subcategory-collapse-toggle bi bi-arrows-collapse" data-bs-target=".campaign_contributions-collapse" data-bs-toggle="collapse" role="button" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;"> nexus: AC GPS:  The political director of American Crossroads is Carl Forti, a veteran operative specializing in running independent expenditure campaigns. Forti ran an $80 million operation at the NRCC in 2006. The Crossroads family that Forti runs has spent $26 million on independent expenditures so far this cycle. Forti also runs the communications strategy firm Black Rock Group with Michael Dubke. Dubke also operates the organization Crossroads Media, which is not directly associated with the Crossroads family. Crossroads Media, however, is the media company for the Crossroads family and has received $20.89 million from American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS for media and advertising services.Dubke is also connected to another big independent expenditure operator on the Republican side, Americans for Job Security. Dubke helped found Americans for Job Security and served as executive director and then president from 1997 to 2007. Americans for Job Security operates out of the same office as Crossroads Media and the Black Rock Groupand is currently run by Stephen DeMaura, the 25-year old former executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party. DeMaura is the only employee of the group. Crossroads Media has received $2.95 million from Americans for Job Security for media services in the 2010 midterms. This group has spent $4.39 million on independent expenditures so far this election. Forti, the political director for the Crossroads family, also handles the PR and media profile of The 60-Plus Association. The 60-Plus Association was founded in 1992 as a conservative counter to a perceived liberal bias in the group senior citizen advocacy group AARP. So far, The 60-Plus Association has spent more than $5 million on independent expenditures. <a href="http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/10/21/hydra-of-independent-groups-fuels-republican-side/">http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/10/21/hydra-of-independent-groups-fuels-republican-side/</a>

===

Simmons' personal financial support extends well beyond Perry: He also gave $500,000 to Winning Our Future, a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, and most notably, Simmons is the top donor to both Restore Our Future (a super PAC supporting Mitt Romney) and American Crossroads.  Simmons' donations to the latter two groups further solidify an already established trend of overlap between the two groups, who share not only top funders like Bob Perry and Simmons, but top officials like Carl Forti.

<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2012/02/contran.html">http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2012/02/contran.html</a>

===

Karl Rove's Karl Rove

By: Kenneth P. Vogel and Ben Smith

October 18, 2010 04:29 AM EDT

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Democrats have targeted their longtime nemesis Karl Rove as the mastermind behind the tens of millions of dollars of ads from independent groups attacking their candidates this fall, but maybe they should have listened more carefully when Rove recently told the audience of <a target="_blank" href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008090035">Rush Limbaugh’s radio show</a> about “one of the smartest people in politics you’ve never heard of.”

In fact, Carl Forti, the low-key career Republican operative Rove was talking about, may be the figure most intricately involved in the outside groups transforming the 2010 election season with a deluge of hard-hitting ads.

Forti has played a critical role in shaping the ad campaigns of two of the biggest-spending outside groups — American Crossroads and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (or Crossroads GPS, for short), <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36841.html">which Rove</a> and veteran operative Ed Gillespie helped create this year — and Forti also is a consultant to two other outside groups that have emerged as top spenders this year: the 60 Plus Association and Americans for Job Security. (See: <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36841.html">Karl Rove, Republican Party Plot Vast Network to Reclaim Power</a>)

Together, the four groups have spent $33 million on sharp-edged television advertising boosting Republicans, attacking Democrats personally, and pillorying them for supporting the stimulus, the Democratic healthcare overhaul and other initiatives pushed by President Barack Obama.

“Carl is a strategic political warrior. He knows issues, he knows polling, and he knows how to implement complicated strategies,” <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/bradley_a_blakeman.html">says Bradley Blakeman</a>, a veteran GOP operative who calls Forti “the Alexander the Great of the Republican independent expenditure world.” (See: <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/bradley_a_blakeman.html">Arena Profile: Bradley A. Blakeman</a>)

The Supreme Court’s January decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31786.html">allowed corporate funds to be spent</a> right through Election Day on usually critical ads known as independent expenditures and on hard-hitting issue-based ads known as electioneering communications. As a result, nonprofit corporations registered under section 501(c) of the tax code, like Crossroads GPS, 60 Plus and Americans for Job Security, have emerged as the political vehicles of choice for big Republican donors and savvy GOP operatives, partly because their tax status allows them to accept unlimited donations from individuals and corporations without disclosing the source of that funding. (See: <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31786.html">Court Decision Opens Floodgates for Corporate Cash</a>)

And Forti was ideally positioned to play a central role in the surge of outside groups.

During the 2006 campaign, he managed the Republican Party’s largest-ever <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36341.html">independent expenditure campaign</a>: the National Republican Congressional Committee’s $80 million outlay. (See:<a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36341.html"> NRCC Spending Targets Murtha Seat</a>)

“It was a huge amount of dough,” said <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0308/Reynolds_is_now_on_retirement_watch_list.html">former Rep. Tom Reynolds</a> of New York, who chaired the NRCC that cycle. “Carl was the guy that built the structure and the strategy.”

In 2008, Forti began developing his reputation as a maestro of outside group independent expenditures, taking a job as vice president of issue advocacy for a new and pioneering, but ultimately disappointing, 501(c)(4) group called <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14923.html">Freedom’s Watch</a>. And last year, Forti worked for a 501(c)(4) group called the Institute for Liberty opposing the Democratic health care bill.

“Carl has carved out that niche,” said former <a target="_blank" href="http://topics.politico.com/index.cfm/topic/TomDavis">Rep. Tom Davis</a> of Virginia, who as chairman of the NRCC in 2000 and 2002 was Forti’s boss. “What has happened in American politics with the advent of campaign finance [reforms] is the parties have taken a back seat to the interest groups — so the people who are running these other things have as much to say as the party operatives. They’ve got spending, and they’re less accountable. Carl’s very good at what he does.”

Before establishing himself at the vanguard of GOP outside group politics, Forti, 38, traveled a rather conventional path through the ranks of the professional Republican class. He started out in the mid-1990s doing digital editing for a small ad firm run by Paul Wilson, a veteran GOP consultant who hired Forti after coming to speak to his political strategy class at George Washington University.

“He uses very few words,” says Wilson. “He doesn’t try to overpower anyone or dominate anyone. When he says something, he’s really thought about it, and that’s one of the secrets of his success.”

Forti has come to specialize in the legal and tactical challenges of structuring effective independent ad campaigns that reinforce the messages of other outside groups and GOP candidates and undercut those of Democrats — all while avoiding illegal “coordination” with the party committees and their candidates. 

The skills — which will prove vital for operatives seeking to follow Forti into the bold new frontier of outside advocacy — have come in handy for him this cycle, since Black Rock Group, a firm he founded last year with Michael Dubke, has worked for a handful of Republican congressional candidates, including one in Colorado, where Crossroads is engaged in get-out-the-vote efforts. 

Black Rock, which is located in the same office suite along the Potomac River in Alexandria, Va., as Americans for Job Security, has received more than $31,000 for its work on a handful of Republican congressional campaigns, including that of New York Senate <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/maggiehaberman/1010/Gillibrand_goes_negative_on_DioGuardi.html">candidate Joe DioGuardi</a>, for whom Forti <a target="blank" href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/08/new-poll-gives-gillibrand-big-lead-in-ny-senate-race/">continues to work</a>. (See: <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/maggiehaberman/1010/Gillibrand_goes_negative_on_DioGuardi_.html">Gillibrand Goes Negative on DioGuardi</a>)

But Black Rock stopped accepting payments from all its candidate clients after their primaries, except for DioGuardi, said Jonathan Collegio, a Crossroads spokesman who worked with Forti at the NRCC.

And, Collegio added, “Carl is firewalled off from making any decisions on behalf of American Crossroads about the New York Senate race.”

Forti’s partner, Dubke, also runs a media buying firm called Crossroads Media, which is not connected with the Crossroads political groups but which operates out of the same Alexandria office suite as Black Rock and Americans for Job Security and has had a big hand in the explosion of outside advertising. Of the $33 million spent by the four nonprofit groups with which Forti is associated, $19 million went through Crossroads Media, a POLITICO analysis of FEC records found. The Crossroads groups paid an additional $140,000 — fees for ad production — to the firm of Forti’s old boss, Wilson.

Meanwhile, Black Rock — named for a declining neighborhood in Forti and Dubke’s hometown of Buffalo, N.Y. — also represents the conservative Pajamas Media, a Web-based company that routinely skewers Democrats.

Forti, who last year told National Journal, "I spend all my time trying to avoid the spotlight," declined to comment for this story. And unlike many political figures who turn down interviews, he also largely resisted the temptation to try to shape reporters’ narrative behind the scenes.

Just one old friend called, unprompted, on his behalf, to echo others who stressed how unusual it is that Forti never appears on cable television to promote himself, despite having more political chops than most of those who are <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11319.html">featured regularly as “strategists.”</a>

Wilson described Forti, a 6-foot, 220-pound sports junkie who’s devoted to his hometown Buffalo Bills and once coached a season of high school freshman basketball, as “a teddy bear,” adding that his wife, Sandra, who is not involved in politics, is a better soccer player.

Forti’s temperament seems ideally suited to the identities of outside groups, which typically have sought little attention for themselves. Crossroads may be an exception, thanks to Rove, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43371.html">who has ardently insisted</a> that he doesn’t play a role in the day-to-day operations of the groups, alleging Democrats and the media have exaggerated his involvement “because anything that I’m associated with gets attacked.”

But in an appearance last week on Fox News, Rove repeatedly referred to the groups as “we” and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43560.html">sarcastically thanked</a> Obama, who Rove said “has helped drive people to our website and has helped to raise the amount of money that we received.”

The Crossroads groups <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43560.html">last week announced</a> that they’d exceeded their $52 million fundraising goal and now intend to raise $65 million before Election Day. Their meteoric fundraising has allowed them to surpass the 2008 impact of Freedom’s Watch, but the divergent fates of the independent groups may say as much about the shifts in the political landscape over the past two years as about the players involved. (See: <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43560.html">Karl Rove: President Obama's Attacks Are Helping</a>)

<a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14923.html">Freedom’s Watch struggled</a> to meet its lofty goals — one big donor <a target="blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/us/politics/30watch.html">told The New York Times</a> that the group hoped to raise $200 million by Election Day 2008 — and eventually folded under the weight of its own bloated infrastructure and hype.

The group’s fundraising struggles may have been attributable partly to GOP 2008 presidential nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain, a longtime critic of big money in politics, who discouraged outside group spending, Forti suggested <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.politicsmagazine.com/magazine-issues/july_2010/carl-forti">in a rare in-depth interview</a> in the July edition of Campaigns & Elections magazine.

And it doesn’t hurt to have Rove using his donor-big Rolodex to pry free big checks <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42662.html">from wealthy Republicans</a> who are wary of the <a target="blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35164.html">controversy-prone Republican National Committee</a> but who know and trust Rove and Gillespie from their years running former President George W. Bush’s political operations.

Plus, many donors saw the Citizens United decision as a signal that outside groups and their donors would not be subject to the kinds of <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5555.html">crackdowns</a> that followed the 2004 and 2006 cycles.

The operatives behind the Crossroads groups, as well as other <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36841.html">linked outside groups</a>, including American Action Network and Resurgent Republic, say they’ve carefully studied and applied the lessons both from shortlived conservative efforts like Freedom’s Watch and from persevering liberal ones like MoveOn.org. They say their groups are built for the long haul, thanks to their lean staffs and reliance on operatives like Forti who make sure that their efforts don’t overlap with those of allied outside groups or party committees.

Forti told Campaigns & Elections, “I've been doing the I.E. stuff for a while” and asserted “over the last three cycles we've been getting smarter as to how to relay information” within the bounds of the FEC’s coordination rules.

That’s partly due to having “more experienced political professionals running the political operations at more of these outside groups,” Forti said. “So I think there are little things that we're starting to do better now, having had two cycles of outside group experience. When I was at the committee, those outside groups just didn't exist.”

The heightened coordination was illustrated last week when the Crossroads groups, along with American Action Network and another 501(c)(4) group, the Commission for Hope, Growth and Opportunity, unveiled a $50 million joint <a target="_blank" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43560.html">advertising strategy</a> targeting dozens of House Democratic incumbents who maintain cash advantages over their Republican rivals.

If the three-week long House effort reaches its spending goal, it will exceed the amount that Forti’s old employer, the NRCC, is expected to spend on independent expenditures for the entire campaign cycle.

</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.irides.com"><img src="/96831a8a-874f-5cab-9ebb-8b037d81f08f.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=BD9AF158-E23A-D4C3-55D010033B12565E">http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=BD9AF158-E23A-D4C3-55D010033B12565E</a>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

==

posibly prescient:

<ul>

<li>Carl Forti and Michael Dubke, principals of the newly-formed Black Rock Group in Alexandria, Virginia. Just for reference, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Carl_Forti">Carl Forti</a> was a former principal of Freedom’s Watch and communications director for Mitt Romney and the <a href="http://www.nrcc.org/default.aspx">NRCC</a>.</li>

<li>

</li><li>Wealthy donors to Republican causes. Some notable possibilities: Steve Forbes, Charles Koch, Richard Mellon Scaife, Betsy DeVos, James Dobson, and just about anyone listed on the board of the US Chamber of Commerce, their friends, and their friends’ friends, as well as a network of less-wealthy but nevertheless committed internet denizens, led by people like Tea Party Guy <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/a-teabagger-timeline-koch_b_187312.html">Eric Odom</a>.</li>

<li>

</li><li>Anyone with the money to play. There is only one requirement: They must be willing to use their own money, act on their own, and hire Black Rock Group as their consultant.</li>

</ul>

=

<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130845545">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130845545</a>

Black Rock Gp,  crossroads media, 60 plus assoc

<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading">Americans for Job Security</h1>

<h3 id="siteSub">From SourceWatch</h3>

This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Front_groups" title="Portal:Front groups">front groups</a> and corporate spin.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

Americans for Job Security (AJS) is a "pro-business advocacy organization" based in Arlington, VA.<a href="http://www.savejobs.org/aboutajs.php" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.savejobs.org/aboutajs.php" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> AJS spun off in the late 1990s from a group called The Coalition: Americans Working for Real Change, a group that had been formed by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce" title="U.S. Chamber of Commerce">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a> to counteract the extensive soft money spending by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AFL-CIO" title="AFL-CIO">AFL-CIO</a> starting in the 1996 elections.<a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/profile.cfm?org_id=41" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.stealthpacs.org/profile.cfm?org_id=41" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>

Later in a FEC Complaint, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Citizen" title="Public Citizen">Public Citizen</a> wrote that AJS is a "sham <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Front_group" title="Front group" class="mw-redirect">front group</a> that would be better called Corporations Influencing Elections ... masquerading as a non-profit to conceal its funders and the scope of its <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Electioneering_communications" title="Electioneering communications">electioneering activities</a>,"<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a> the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Responsive_Politics" title="Center for Responsive Politics">Center for Responsive Politics</a> wrote in April 2007.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a> Incorporated October 1997 in Virginia, AJS was described by the Center as "pro-Republican", "pro-business", and "established to directly counter labor's influence".<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-open-2" title="">[3]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a>

The Center also reported that, in 1998, AJS "pledged to raise and spend $100 million on issue ads over the next five years."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-4" title="">[5]</a>

It is alleged that AJS was founded by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Marc_F.Racicot" title="Marc F. Racicot">Marc F. Racicot</a> "with a $1 million donation" from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Insurance_Association" title="American Insurance Association">American Insurance Association</a>. Racicot headed <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George W. Bush</a>'s <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bush-Cheney_%2704_Inc." title="Bush-Cheney '04 Inc.">2004 re-election campaign</a> and is a former <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee">Republican National Committee</a> chairman.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-WWT-5" title="">[6]</a> In June 2005, Racicot coincidentally became the new head of the American Insurance Association, which "represents 435 major property and casualty insurance companies."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-6" title="">[7]</a>

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="javascript:toggleToc()" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Issues">1 Issues</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Member_of_anti-estate_tax_coalition">1.1 Member of anti-estate tax coalition</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Active_opponent_of_the_Employee_Free_Choice_Act">1.2 Active opponent of the Employee Free Choice Act</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Against_the_Pebble_Mine_in_Alaska">1.3 Against the Pebble Mine in Alaska</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Tax-exempt_status">2 Tax-exempt status</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Funding">3 Funding</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Republican_affiliations">4 Republican affiliations</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Controversy">5 Controversy</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Crossroads_Media_.26_TargetPoint_Consulting">5.1 Crossroads Media & TargetPoint Consulting</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Attempts_to_influence_2006_elections">5.2 Attempts to influence 2006 elections</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Santorum_and_ASJ_used_same_ad_footage">5.2.1 Santorum and ASJ used same ad footage</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Supporting_Santorum">5.2.2 Supporting Santorum</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#A_Stronger_America-Minnesota">5.2.3 A Stronger America - Minnesota</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Attack_ads_linked_to_Swift_Boat_lawyer_and_funder">5.2.3.1 Attack ads linked to Swift Boat lawyer and funder</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Complaint">5.2.3.2 Complaint</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Texas_District_1">5.3 Texas District 1</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Complaint_2">5.3.1 Complaint</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Supporting_N.C..27s_Richard_Burr">5.4 Supporting N.C.'s Richard Burr</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Targeting_John_Edwards">5.5 Targeting John Edwards</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Election_cycle_2000">5.6 Election cycle 2000</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Microsoft">5.6.1 Microsoft</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#.22stealth_PAC.22">5.6.2 "stealth PAC"</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Election_cycle_2010">5.7 Election cycle 2010</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Zach_Space">5.7.1 Zach Space</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Jane_Norton">5.7.2 Jane Norton</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Bill_Halter">5.7.3 Bill Halter</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Principals_and_consultants">6 Principals and consultants</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Principals_or_staffers">6.1 Principals or staffers</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Consultants">6.2 Consultants</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Affiliated_consultants_or_vendors">6.3 Affiliated consultants or vendors</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Contact_information">7 Contact information</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Articles_and_resources">8 Articles and resources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#Related_SourceWatch_articles">8.1 Related SourceWatch articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#References">8.2 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#External_resources">8.3 External resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#External_articles">8.4 External articles</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2>Issues</h2>

<h3>Member of anti-estate tax coalition</h3>

"In the months prior to the 2002 election, pro-repeal organizations ran estate tax issue ads in South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, lowa, and Arkansas. In Missouri, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_Seniors_Association" title="United Seniors Association" class="mw-redirect">United Seniors Association</a> and Americans for Job Security (phony grassroots organizations fronting for corporate interests) targeted former Senator <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jean_Carnahan&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Jean Carnahan (page does not exist)">Jean Carnahan</a>'s position on the estate tax. In Minnesota, Americans for Job Security ran full-page newspaper ads attacking the late Senator Paul Wellstone for voting against full repeal, and flew a banner at the Minnesota state fair: 'Wellstone Quit Taxing the Dead!'."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-7" title="">[8]</a>

In summer 2005, AJS, "which devotes nearly all of its spending on advertising, concentrates nearly entirely on messages that aim to influence elections as opposed to influencing the outcomes of discrete public policy issues", departed "from that practice" and "targeted" four senators "with issue-related advertisements that supported a repeal of the estate tax. They were former Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bill_Frist" title="Bill Frist">Bill Frist</a> (R-Tenn), and Sens. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Max_Baucus" title="Max Baucus">Max Baucus</a> (D-Mont.), <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jon_Kyl" title="Jon Kyl">Jon Kyl</a> (R-Ariz.) and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mary_Landrieu" title="Mary Landrieu">Mary Landrieu</a> (D-La.)."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-clean-8" title="">[9]</a>

<h3>Active opponent of the Employee Free Choice Act</h3>

In the weeks following the 2008 election Americans for Job Security has "a new ad out for their opposition to Card Check, and they have bought air time for it on almost all of the television networks." <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/21/video-the-card-check-ad-cbs-doesnt-want-you-to-see/" class="external autonumber" title="http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/21/video-the-card-check-ad-cbs-doesnt-want-you-to-see/" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=CBS" title="CBS">CBS</a> refused to air the ad, which was featured <a href="http://www.breitbart.tv/html/226163.html" class="external text" title="http://www.breitbart.tv/html/226163.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. In a statement Stephen DeMaura said, "Americans for Job Security attempted to advertise on the CBS Network but our advertisement titled 'Secret' was denied. It is one part of a serious and ongoing public policy debate on the Employee Free Choice Act. According to our media buyers, CBS officials cited the appearance of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom the advertisement shows in visual form only, as one of the primary reasons for the denial of the advertisement. One CBS representative felt that viewers would be 'confused' by its contents within their program. The advertisement was approved by other broadcast networks."

The advertisement and its placement on Fox News Sunday drew additional criticism as the message of the ad was parodied by host Chris Wallace just before the commercial break. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpCIHj1D5tY" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpCIHj1D5tY" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>

<h3>Against the Pebble Mine in Alaska</h3>

Americans for Job Security took a strong and active stance against the controversial Pebble Mine in Alaska which threatens the commercial and sport fishing industry of the area. The active opposition of the organization created controversy as it coincided with Ballot Measure 4 which would have stopped the effort. Elizabeth Bluemink of the Anchorage Daily News wrote "The major group funding this campaign is Americans for Job Security." <a href="http://www.adn.com/opinion/comment/story/503421.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.adn.com/opinion/comment/story/503421.html" rel="nofollow">[5]</a>A seperate account of the effort by the Anchorage Daily News wrote, "Americans for Job Security -- a secretive, Republican-oriented group in Virginia that doesn't identify its members -- contributed nearly $3 million to back Measure 4," and that they, "also funded "issue" ads in the form of mailers and radio spots. The cost of those ads was not disclosed." <a href="http://www.adn.com/election/story/507096.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.adn.com/election/story/507096.html" rel="nofollow">[6]</a>

The Pebble Mine would be the largest open pit mine in the world and is being actively supported by international mining companies who donated more than $8 million to Ballot Measure 4. <a href="http://www.adn.com/election/story/507096.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.adn.com/election/story/507096.html" rel="nofollow">[7]</a> Many argued it was weird that AJS would oppose the project but Stephen DeMaura group President said in a Daily News Miner story “We believe the Pebble Mine is bad for the commercial fishing industry in Alaska,” DeMaura said. “We’re going to continue to engage in that discussion for as long as it takes.” <a href="http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/jul/31/groups-spend-more-76-million-clean-water-campaigns/" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/jul/31/groups-spend-more-76-million-clean-water-campaigns/" rel="nofollow">[8]</a>

<h2>Tax-exempt status</h2>

AJS is classified as a Section 501(c)(6) trade association, meaning that the organization is designed to promote the “common business interests” of its members.<a href="http://www.savejobs.org/aboutajs.php" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.savejobs.org/aboutajs.php" rel="nofollow">[9]</a> Additionally, "it is not prohibited from intervening in political campaigns so long as political campaign intervention is not its primary activity." However, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Washington_Post" title="Washington Post">Washington Post</a> reported in August, 2010, that AJS spends "the vast majority of its budget on television and radio ads before elections.<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/21/AR2010082102290.html?hpid=topnews" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/21/AR2010082102290.html?hpid=topnews" rel="nofollow">[10]</a>

According to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Citizen" title="Public Citizen">Public Citizen</a>, if the advertising constitutes campaign intervention (<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Electioneering_communications" title="Electioneering communications">electioneering</a>), the activity would be considered AJS's primary activity, resulting in loss of tax-exempt status and imposition of taxes under <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=527_committee" title="527 committee" class="mw-redirect">Section 527(f)</a>."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-9" title="">[10]</a>

On April 11, 2007, Public Citizen wrote to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=IRS" title="IRS" class="mw-redirect">IRS</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=FEC" title="FEC" class="mw-redirect">FEC</a>, complaining that the group should lose its non-profit status, due to its "electioneering." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-10" title="">[11]</a>

<h2>Funding</h2>

AJS has "steadfastly refused to disclose its contributors. The group’s explanation underlines why disclosure of funding sources of grassroots <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lobbying" title="Lobbying">lobbying</a> campaigns is needed: AJS President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Dubke&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mike Dubke (page does not exist)">Mike Dubke</a> has said that such disclosure would distract from the group’s message," <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Citizen" title="Public Citizen">Public Citizen</a> wrote in a January 2007 report on <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Astroturf" title="Astroturf">astroturf</a> groups.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-clean-8" title="">[9]</a> AJS "has a history of injecting itself into Congressional campaigns," Carl Hulse wrote July 14, 2002, in the New York Times,<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-11" title="">[12]</a> and "was apparently used solely as a conduit to hide corporate political spending and insulate companies from accountability," a May 2006 report by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Political_Accountability&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Center for Political Accountability (page does not exist)">Center for Political Accountability</a> stated.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-12" title="">[13]</a>

In the wake of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, the FEC issued advisory opinions which stated that any group making an "independent expenditure" intended to influence a political race, either for or against a candidate but independent from any candidate's campaign, should register with the FEC as a political action committee and disclose their finances. AJS declined to do so, interpreting FEC rules to mandate disclosure only when a donor mandates that their money be used in a specific time, place and manner; a situation that almost never occurs.<a href="http://www.americanindependent.com/americans-for-job-security-rebuffs-disclosure-requirements/" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.americanindependent.com/americans-for-job-security-rebuffs-disclosure-requirements/" rel="nofollow">[11]</a>

<h2>Republican affiliations</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Political_Solutions&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Political Solutions (page does not exist)">Political Solutions</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-13" title="">[14]</a>, "founded to help ensure Republican candidates, free enterprise PACs and conservative causes achieve success."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-14" title="">[15]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Opinion_Strategies" title="Public Opinion Strategies">Public Opinion Strategies</a>, a self-described "Republican polling firm", which "used mall intercept testing" in "issue campaign experience on behalf of" AJS "and others".<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-15" title="">[16]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Stevens_Reed_Curcio_%26_Potholm" title="Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm">Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm</a> media consulting firm; as are the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Republican_Congressional_Committee" title="National Republican Congressional Committee">National Republican Congressional Committee</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Republican_Senatorial_Committee" title="National Republican Senatorial Committee">National Republican Senatorial Committee</a>, several individual Republican members of Congress, and a lengthy list of Republican-affiliated organizations and front groups. Heading the list, however, is the only "National 527" <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Swift_Boat_Veterans_for_Truth" title="Swift Boat Veterans for Truth">Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth</a>.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-16" title="">[17]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>Convicted <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=2002_Election_NH_%22Phone_Jamming%22_Case" title="2002 Election NH " phone="" jamming="jamming" case="case">2002 New Hampshire phone-jammer</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_McGee&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Charles McGee (page does not exist)">Charles McGee</a>, vice president of political and corporate communications at Spectrum Monthly & Printing Inc., and former executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-17" title="">[18]</a></li>

</ul>

<h2>Controversy</h2>

<h3>Crossroads Media & TargetPoint Consulting</h3>

Former AJS president <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michael_D._Dubke&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Michael D. Dubke (page does not exist)">Michael D. Dubke</a>'s Crossroads Media is located at the same "suburban Washington office in Olde Town Alexandria, Virginia." "Dubke, over the last five years operating as an advertising agency, has placed attack radio and television commercials in races all over the country. He has been investigated, threatened and described as a 'political jackal' because he represents groups that don't disclose the sources of their money. He says that is deliberate, because keeping the sources secret means the debate is on his targets rather than his donors."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-WWT-5" title="">[6]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-18" title="">[19]</a>

In addition AJS shares an office with TargetPoint Consulting who are described "As the exclusive supplier of MicroTargeting research and data to the Republican National Committee, the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign and several Fortune 500 companies, TargetPoint Consulting offers the gold standard in voter-relationship management," its website states. [<a href="http://targetpointconsulting.com/AboutUS/default.aspx" class="external autonumber" title="http://targetpointconsulting.com/AboutUS/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">[12]</a>]

The partners of TargetPoint are Alex Gage, Michael Meyers who were chief strategists for the Presidential campaign of Mitt Romney and the third partner is Brent Seaborn who held the same position for the presidential campaign of Rudy Giuliani. <a href="http://www.targetpointconsulting.com/Principals/default.aspx" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.targetpointconsulting.com/Principals/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">[13]</a>

<h3>Attempts to influence 2006 elections</h3>

In an attempt to influence <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._congressional_elections_in_2006" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006" class="mw-redirect">2006 elections</a>, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Campaign_Finance_Institute" title="Campaign Finance Institute">Campaign Finance Institute</a> reports the following for AJS:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-19" title="">[20]</a>

<ol>

<li>"Ran an estimated $1.5 million in ads on behalf of Republican <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rick_Santorum" title="Rick Santorum">Rick Santorum</a> in Pennsylvania Senate race, praising his past votes for anti-tax stance and Social Security initiative."</li>

<li>"Sponsored <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.congressional_elections_in_2006:Robo_Calls" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006: Robo Calls">prerecorded phone calls</a> in an Oklahoma House Republican primary that criticized two of the six candidates."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-20" title="">[21]</a></li>

<li>"Ran ads in two House races in Indiana and Minnesota supportive of Republican candidates."</li>

</ol>

<h4>Santorum and ASJ used same ad footage</h4>

In December 2005, Sen. Rick Santorum ran an interne that used the same ad footage as that in an ad "placed on TV stations" by Americans for Job Security. Blogger mantooth of The Square Circuit Blog commented that "this wouldn't be news, of course, if it were not borderline unethical. It seems clear that two ads--one for Santorum directly, and one in support of Santorum--that used EXACTLY THE SAME FOOTAGE were probably cooked up by the same people. But no! say the parties. Just a fantastic coincidence."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-mantooth-21" title="">[22]</a>

"According to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton NEWS-LEADER, 'Michael Dubke, president of the Republican-leaning third-party group, and John Brabender, Santorum's media consultant, each denied that the two sides had collaborated in any way. They each said it was a coincidence they used the same stock footage in their respective ads'," mantooth related.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-mantooth-21" title="">[22]</a>

<h4>Supporting Santorum</h4>

"Santorum is using every trick he learned as the Senate liaison to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=K_Street_Project" title="K Street Project">K Street lobbyists</a> to game the system and have the special interests pay for his reelection campaign," Larry Smar with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bob_Casey" title="Bob Casey">Bob Casey</a> campaign wrote in July 2006.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-smar-22" title="">[23]</a>.

AJS had launched its "fifth ad in support of Santorum's candidacy," spending "$2 million for Santorum in addition to $1.5 million from the Santorum campaign."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-smar-22" title="">[23]</a>

"The press has reported that AJS has been backed by the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry," both of which "are big Santorum donors and Santorum consistently votes with the insurance and pharmaceutical industries over seniors and patients," Smar wrote.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-smar-22" title="">[23]</a>

By the end of August 2006, "Americans for Job Security and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce" title="U.S. Chamber of Commerce">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a> [had] spent close to $1.3 million on television ads combined supporting Santorum’s record on taxes, Social Security, and Medicare".<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-23" title="">[24]</a>

On December 1, 2005, the Philadelphia Daily News asked "Who owns you, Senator?", commenting "Santorum doesn't seem too concerned about who is behind Americans for Job Security, a Virginia-based anti-tax group that refuses to identify contributors. He declined to tell one of our reporters whether his financial backers should step out of the shadows. How discreet.

"If supporters of Americans for Job Security want to step into our state and influence our elections - fine. Just have the guts to tell Pennsylvania voters your name as you send your checks.

"As for Sen. Santorum, he should remember he owes the voters of this state a lot more than he owes some slippery little <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Front_group" title="Front group" class="mw-redirect">front group</a>."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-24" title="">[25]</a>

<h4>A Stronger America - Minnesota</h4>

In November 2006, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gubernatorial nominee <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Hatch&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mike Hatch (page does not exist)">Mike Hatch</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-25" title="">[26]</a> sent an email to supporters which read<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-26" title="">[27]</a>

<dl>

<dd>A Stronger America-Minnesota purposefully structured itself to conceal its identity and its donors. It registered with the Campaign Finance Board on October 2, [2006] listing its address as a dropbox in Alexandria, Virginia. Its contributions were timed to avoid disclosure of its donors until after the November 7 election.</dd>

</dl>

<dl>

<dd>A reverse directory search of 'A Stronger America's' phone number listed on its registration statement, however, shows that it and its ad agency share an office address with another PAC called 'Americans for Job Security.' The executive director of Americans for Job Security is the former political director of the Bush White House. ...</dd>

</dl>

<dl>

<dd>This is not the first time we have seen this unseemly activity in Minnesota. In 2002, Americans for Job Security tried to buy the U.S. Senate race by purchasing $1 million in negative attack ads against Paul Wellstone.</dd>

</dl>

According to ASA-MN's October 27, 2006, filing with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (MCFPDB), <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joseph_Deoudes&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Joseph Deoudes (page does not exist)">Joseph Deoudes</a> was listed as treasurer, with the organization's address given as 107 South West Street, PMB499, Alexandria, Virginia.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-MCF-27" title="">[28]</a> ASA-MN's registration form shows <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sean_Henry&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sean Henry (page does not exist)">Sean Henry</a> as ASA-MN chair.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-28" title="">[29]</a>

In its initial filing, ASA-MN reported receipts of $40,300 from only four Minnesota contributors: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Stanley_S.Hubbard&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Stanley S. Hubbard (page does not exist)">Stanley S. Hubbard</a>, CEO of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hubbard_Broadcasting" title="Hubbard Broadcasting">Hubbard Broadcasting</a> ($10,000); CAR of St. Paul ($20,000); <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Robert_J.Ulrich&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Robert J. Ulrich (page does not exist)">Robert J. Ulrich</a>, CEO Target ($10,000); and the "business <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lobbying_firm" title="Lobbying firm" class="mw-redirect">lobbying firm</a>"<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-29" title="">[30]</a> Lindquist & Vennum PLLP ($300).<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-MCF-27" title="">[28]</a>

On November 2, 2006, Robin Marty reported in the Minnesota Monitor<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-30" title="">[31]</a>

<dl>

<dd>"A few days and $450,000 worth of donations later, they may be a force that could sway the election. ... It will be unclear where the last minute surge of donations came from due to the fact that they arrived after the final reporting deadline. However, the early reports feature the $20,000 donation from CAR, a group of car dealerships that Gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch believes could have reason to prefer incumbent Tim Pawlenty in this race. According to the Star Tribune Hatch states 'I've sued a lot of car dealers.'"</dd>

</dl>

The following day, on November 3, 2006, ASA-MN contributor and spokesman Joe Weber told the Associated Press that "the group has now raised close to $700,000." The group was not required to report its "fundraising and spending again until January [2007]."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Gin-31" title="">[32]</a>

<h5>Attack ads linked to Swift Boat lawyer and funder</h5>

On November 3, 2006, the Associated Press reported that ASA-MN's Hatch attack ads were connected to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Benjamin_Ginsberg" title="Benjamin Ginsberg">Benjamin Ginsberg</a>, the Washington lawyer "who represented the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Swift_Boat_Veterans_for_Truth" title="Swift Boat Veterans for Truth">Swift Boat Veterans for Truth</a> in the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.presidential_election,2004" title="U.S. presidential election, 2004">2004 presidential campaign</a>."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Gin-31" title="">[32]</a>

Ginsberg, who resigned in 2004 as a lawyer for President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_W._Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George W. Bush</a>'s "campaign after acknowledging he was providing legal advice to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which made unsubstantiated allegations about <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Democratic_Party" title="Democratic Party" class="mw-redirect">Democratic</a> candidate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Kerry" title="John Kerry" class="mw-redirect">John Kerry</a>'s Vietnam War record," was also confirmed as being the lawyer for ASA-MN.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Gin-31" title="">[32]</a>

In a December 19, 2006, follow-up, the Associated Press reported the same wealthy Houston, Texas, businessman, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bob_Perry" title="Bob Perry" class="mw-redirect">Bob Perry</a>, who had helped finance the Swift Boat ads against Kerry, was the "main funder" behind ASA-MN. A "recent filing with the Internal Revenue Service" showed that Perry had contributed $500,000 to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=A_Stronger_America&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="A Stronger America (page does not exist)">A Stronger America</a>, whose Minnesota chapter had spent about $750,000 in its anti-Hatch campaign.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-32" title="">[33]</a>

ASA-MN spokesman Joe Weber said the "infusion of Texas cash" was wired into ASA's bank account "about three weeks before the Nov. 7 election. That timing allowed the group to avoid reporting the contributions before the election.

"It also allowed the group to mount an extensive television campaign that it otherwise might not have been able to muster."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-33" title="">[34]</a>

<h5>Complaint</h5>

In a February 7, 2007, complaint filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board by the Minnesota DFL Party<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-com-34" title="">[35]</a> "points out that two organizations exist with similar names: A Stronger America, an organization established under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code ('the National Organization'), and A Stronger America – Minnesota ('ASA-MN' or 'the Committee'), the political committee registered with the Board. According to documents filed with the complaint, the two entities use the same mailing address, which is a private mailbox."

The Minnesota DFL pointed out that both organizations reported "some of the same contributions and expenditures on their reports even though" only ASA-MN was registered with the Board, particularly "a number of contributions received from corporations which are not disclosed on the ASA-MN report." The only reports considered were "year-end reports obtained by the Board for both entities."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-com-34" title="">[35]</a>

The Minnesota DFL's position was that the two organizations "may be a single entity, selectively reporting contributions and expenditures on each report, or that the donations are received by the National Organization and are then used by, transferred to, or merely reported by ASA-MN." Additionally, there were no reports of separate "expenditures for overhead or support such as telephone, private mailbox rent, office space, or similar items," indicating that there was no separate operation.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-com-34" title="">[35]</a>

The Board's findings favored ASA-MN, only requiring the organization to amend its 2006 report to more accurately reflect some minor financial transactions.

<h3>Texas District 1</h3>

The special January 2004 Texas District 1 race "pitted former state Rep. Sadler of Henderson against a brace of Republicans, including former Tyler Mayor Eltife and [then] state Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview," to replace Sen. Bill Ratliff, who retired early. "Gov. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rick_Perry" title="Rick Perry">Rick Perry</a> and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst personally endorsed Eltife -- not surprising against a Democrat, but also a direct snub of House District 7 incumbent Merritt, who angered fellow Republicans by opposing congressional redistricting and voting against the final map. Merritt ran a distant third, and said he would turn his attention to the March primaries and his House re-election campaign," Michael King wrote January 23, 2004, in The Austin Chronicle.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-King-35" title="">[36]</a>

"The race is hot with state partisan interest, and a D.C.-based but Austin-wired trade association with insurance industry ties calling itself Americans for Job Security ran 'issue ads' denouncing Merritt -- provoking a campaign finance law complaint from Austin-based Campaigns for People, charging illegal use of corporate funds for electioneering," King wrote.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-King-35" title="">[36]</a> "The daisy chain continues -- Americans for Job Security is run by Rick Perry consultant Dave Carney, a prominent 'tort reform' player also hooked up with capital GOP operatives Ray Sullivan and Reggie Bashur."

"Campaigns for People President Fred Lewis told The Longview News-Journal that the ad campaign 'looks like electioneering, it smells like electioneering, it might be electioneering. We have a corporate prohibition, and the reason is so large corporations don't so overwhelm our elections that the rights of the average people are unimportant. ... If it isn't nipped in the bud, it's going to be out of control'," King wrote.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-King-35" title="">[36]</a>

<h4>Complaint</h4>

In January 2004, the Texas watchdog group Campaigns for People (CFP) filed a complaint alleging that AJS funneled corporate money "to pay for attack ads against a state representative just days before a six-way special election." Republican Rep. Tommy Merritt, the target of the ads, CFP alleged, was attacked because he "opposed his own party’s redistricting plan that was being pushed through the legislature at the behest of U.S. House Majority Leader <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_DeLay" title="Tom DeLay" class="mw-redirect">Tom DeLay</a> (R-Texas)." AJS countered that the ads "weren’t intended to influence the election but rather to further AJS’s promotion of 'pro-paycheck issues'," even though, as CFP pointed out, "AJS did not air its ads during the legislative session, when the bills were being debated, but rather in the closing days of an election campaign."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-36" title="">[37]</a>

<h3>Supporting N.C.'s Richard Burr</h3>

"<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_Burr" title="Richard Burr">Richard Burr</a> is Congress’ No. 1 recipient of money from <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tobacco_industry" title="Tobacco industry">Big Tobacco</a>—and a host of other special interests. So, who does he really represent?" Jennifer Strom headlined the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Independent Weekly on July 7, 2004.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-strom-37" title="">[38]</a>

Americans for Job Security had "launched a $600,000 ad campaign on Triangle and Charlotte television stations, praising the Republican's commitment to his constituents while flashing feel-good video of the casually dressed congressman shaking a lot of hands," Strom wrote,<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-strom-37" title="">[38]</a> adding "AJS has been active in federal races since 1998, spending nearly $12 million in select races during the last presidential cycle in 2000. With close ties to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">current president</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_H.W.Bush" title="George H.W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">his father</a>, as well as other key <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect">GOP</a> leaders, the group has earned a reputation for anti-Democrat attack ads, including slamming Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Edwards" title="John Edwards">John Edwards</a> in billboard and newspaper ads during his presidential run. Because it is a so-called 'issue group' rather than a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Political_action_committee" title="Political action committee">political action committee</a>, AJS is not required under campaign finance laws to disclose its donors or its expenses, though various media have reported it was initially seeded with $1 million from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Insurance_Association" title="American Insurance Association">insurance association</a>, took in another $2 million from that group and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Forest_and_Paper_Association" title="American Forest and Paper Association">American Forest and Paper Association</a> in 2000, and has received financial support from <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pharmaceutical_industry" title="Pharmaceutical industry">pharmaceutical companies</a>--all corporate interests that have contributed to Burr and received his support in Congress."

<h3>Targeting John Edwards</h3>

In June 2003, AJS targeted North Carolina Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Edwards" title="John Edwards">John Edwards</a>, "a former trial lawyer who [had] received many campaign contributions from fellow attorneys ... [P]assengers arriving at the Manchester, N.H., airport, the jumping off point for reporters covering the nation's opening-gun primary, [were to] see billboards with legends like this: 'Next time you see him, tell John Edwards it's time for lawsuit reform.'"<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Walt-38" title="">[39]</a>

AJS, "which advertised heavily in the 1992 congressional campaigns in support of free-market economic nostrums, [only spent] about $10,000 on these airport ads in Manchester and, eventually, Des Moines."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Walt-38" title="">[39]</a>

Paul Wellstone

===

Who is Mike Dubke?, Joe Conason asked October 24, 2002, in Salon. "Dubke is the president of Americans for Job Security, a mysterious group with ties to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect">Republican</a> congressional leadership and big business that intervenes in political races around the country, always on behalf of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Conservative" title="Conservative">conservatives</a>. It first gained notoriety a few years ago when <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Trent_Lott" title="Trent Lott">Trent Lott</a>, then the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Senate" title="U.S. Senate">Senate</a> majority leader, shook down a group of Washington <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lobbyist" title="Lobbyist">lobbyists</a> to donate money to the organization, which was helping a Republican senatorial candidate in Michigan. [In 2002], the same outfit has targeted Minnesota Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Wellstone" title="Paul Wellstone">Paul Wellstone</a> with radio and TV ads of dubious accuracy. In fact, AJS is spending a million dollars attacking the Democrat during the weeks leading up to Election Day."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Con-39" title="">[40]</a>

"AJS bills itself for tax and regulatory purposes as a 'nonpolitical trade organization'," Conason wrote.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-Con-39" title="">[40]</a> "As such, AJS is forbidden from partisan activity on behalf of a candidate; legally, it can only run issue-oriented advertising. But the AJS advertising against Wellstone has gone way over that blurry line. That is why Dubke uttered the consummate lie in an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Asked whether his latest anti-Wellstone commercial is 'intended to influence the election,' Dubke replied, 'Absolutely not.' He embroidered his mendacity by adding that the ad 'is not an attack on Wellstone's integrity as much as bringing up the issue of the trustworthiness of public officials.'"

<h3>Election cycle 2000</h3>

<h4>Microsoft</h4>

"[I]n 2000, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a> allegedly used Americans for Job Security (AJS) as a conduit for political money. AJS is a trade association that represents no industry or group of companies and doesnot disclose its membership. According to the Campaign Finance Institute, in 2000 Microsoft gave an undisclosed amount to AJS, which claimed to have spent between $10 and $12 million on political ads that year. The group’s political activity included spending around $700,000 on ads praising [Spencer] <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Spencer_Abraham" title="Spencer Abraham">Abraham</a> and attacking [Debbie] <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Debbie_Stabenow" title="Debbie Stabenow">Stabenow</a>, and spending upwards of $500,000 on ads attacking Washington Democratic nominee <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Maria_Cantwell" title="Maria Cantwell">Maria Cantwell</a>. The Campaign Finance Institute reports that Cantwell is an executive at a firm that competes with Microsoft."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-40" title="">[41]</a>

<h4>"stealth PAC"</h4>

In the July/August Election Update, the National Committee for an Effective Congress reported:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-41" title="">[42]</a>

<dl>

<dd>"One challenge Representative Stabenow faces is competing with Abraham’s massive war chest. While Stabenow has raised roughly $2 million, Senator Abraham has over $5 million. Attack ads aired by the Federation for American Immigration Reform may have forced Abraham to devote resources to a response, but Stabenow has faced similar problems. One group, Americans for Job Security, has already spent nearly $450,000 on negative advertisements. The massive financial advantage may be counteracted by The Washington Post's discovery of the unscrupulous tactics used by Abraham’s campaign to raise the money. Senator Abraham staffers, with help from Senate Majority Leader <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Trent_Lott" title="Trent Lott">Trent Lott</a>, have extorted money from high-tech industries by linking their contributions to important legislation. Much of the funding has been directed to a 'stealth PAC', Americans for Job Security, used to attack Representative Stabenow. At a time when Americans are more concerned than ever before with campaign finance reform, this scandal does not bode well for the Abraham campaign."</dd>

</dl>

<h3>Election cycle 2010</h3>

<h4>Zach Space</h4>

AJS launched a television ad criticizing <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Zack_Space" title="Zack Space">Zack Space</a> (D-OH) for "supporting <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Nancy_Pelosi" title="Nancy Pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>'s liberal agenda." It accuses the congressman of voting for higher energy taxes which would "kill Ohio jobs."<a href="http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/features/your_voice/videos/wsyx_vid_97.shtml" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/features/your_voice/videos/wsyx_vid_97.shtml" rel="nofollow">[14]</a> In response, Space denied that he is a clone of Speaker Pelosi, and has "the gravitas to stand up to his party leadership."<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/09/pro-business_group_to_run_tele.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/09/pro-business_group_to_run_tele.html" rel="nofollow">[15]</a>

<h4>Jane Norton</h4>

In the Republican primary race for Colorado Senate, AJS released an ad attacking Jane Norton, the former Colorado Lieutenant Governor. The ad argued that Norton supported "the largest tax hike in Colorado history" and oversaw "a state bureaucracy that grew by $43 million in just three years." Politifact.com checked the veracity of both these claims. It revealed that the tax hike referred to in the ad was not a tax increase, but a repeal of a rebate that was approved by the voters of Colorado in a referendum, which Norton also supported. Furthermore, the increase in state revenues it created was not the largest in Colorado history, but only one of the largest in recent history.<a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/26/americans-job-security/jane-norton-supported-referendum-c-so-did-voters/" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/26/americans-job-security/jane-norton-supported-referendum-c-so-did-voters/" rel="nofollow">[16]</a> With regard to the growth of bureaucracy, AJS' ad left out the fact that the $43 million increase was due to an influx of federal funds. State tax revenues actually deceased during Norton's tenure as Lieutenant Governor.<a href="http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/26/americans-job-security/jane-nortons-public-health-and-environment-departm/" class="external autonumber" title="http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/26/americans-job-security/jane-nortons-public-health-and-environment-departm/" rel="nofollow">[17]</a>

<h4>Bill Halter</h4>

AJS spent roughly $1.5 million to defeat Arkansas Senate candidate <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bill_Halter&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bill Halter (page does not exist)">Bill Halter</a>.<a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/shadowy_outside_group_spending.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/shadowy_outside_group_spending.html" rel="nofollow">[18]</a> One of their ads was subjected to complaints of racism. The ad depicts Indians thanking Bill Halter for outsourcing jobs from America to Bangalore, in reference to his time spent on the board of WebMethods. Halter's opponent, Senator Blanche Lincoln, decried the ads and supported their removal from the airwaves. But Lincoln's campaign distributed materials with a picture of the Taj Mahal and a charge that Halter supported outsourcing. Halter responded to the ads by calling it "petty politics" and filed a complaint against AJS with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Federal_Elections_Commission.&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Federal Elections Commission. (page does not exist)">Federal Elections Commission.</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/13/group-sends-racially-ting_n_575740.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/13/group-sends-racially-ting_n_575740.html" rel="nofollow">[19]</a> The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Securities_and_Exchange_Commission" title="Securities and Exchange Commission">Securities and Exchange Commission</a> also stated that WebMethod's opening of a development center in India had no effect on job loss in the United States.<a href="http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/03/bill-halter-is-target-of-ad-blitz-in-arkansas-democrats-senate/" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/03/bill-halter-is-target-of-ad-blitz-in-arkansas-democrats-senate/" rel="nofollow">[20]</a>

<h2>Principals and consultants</h2>

According to Public Citizen, the following are principals and consultants affiliated with AJS, post past and present.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-42" title="">[43]</a>

<h3>Principals or staffers</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Stephen_DeMaura&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Stephen DeMaura (page does not exist)">Stephen DeMaura</a>, President, <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/2008/09/controversial_probusiness_grou.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/2008/09/controversial_probusiness_grou.html" rel="nofollow">[21]</a><a href="http://www.nowhampshire.com/2008/06/20/shaheen-vs-americans-for-job-security/" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.nowhampshire.com/2008/06/20/shaheen-vs-americans-for-job-security/" rel="nofollow">[22]</a>, Former Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican Party <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-sullivan/sununu-front-group-attack_b_110281.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-sullivan/sununu-front-group-attack_b_110281.html" rel="nofollow">[23]</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michael_D.Dubke&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Michael D. Dubke (page does not exist)">Michael D. Dubke</a>, Former President;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-WWT-5" title="">[6]</a> aide to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_H.W.Bush" title="George H.W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">Bush</a>-<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=J._Danforth_Quayle" title="J. Danforth Quayle">Quayle</a> 1992;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-43" title="">[44]</a> former head of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ripon_Society" title="Ripon Society">Ripon Society</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-open-2" title="">[3]</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Marc_Del_Signore&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Marc Del Signore (page does not exist)">Marc Del Signore</a>, Board of Directors (2002)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Valerie_Musgrove&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Valerie Musgrove (page does not exist)">Valerie Musgrove</a>, Board of Directors (2002)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Robert_Vagley&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Robert Vagley (page does not exist)">Robert Vagley</a>, Founder (1997); president <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Insurance_Association" title="American Insurance Association">American Insurance Association</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-open-2" title="">[3]</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>Consultants</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_Carney" title="David Carney">David Carney</a>, Consultant (2003)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Benjamin_Ginsberg" title="Benjamin Ginsberg">Benjamin Ginsberg</a>, AJS Counsel (2003)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Eddie_Mahe&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Eddie Mahe (page does not exist)">Eddie Mahe</a>, Consultant (1998)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Leigh_Ann_Pusey&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Leigh Ann Pusey (page does not exist)">Leigh Ann Pusey</a>, Strategic adviser (1998)</li>

</ul>

<h3>Affiliated consultants or vendors</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Creative_Media_Partners&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Creative Media Partners (page does not exist)">Creative Media Partners</a> (listed AJS as client 2004)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Edmonds_Hackney_and_Associates&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Edmonds Hackney and Associates (page does not exist)">Edmonds Hackney and Associates</a> (produced <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Edwards" title="John Edwards">John Edwards</a> ad 2003)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tarrance_Group&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Tarrance Group (page does not exist)">Tarrance Group</a> (pollsters 2004)</li>

</ul>

<h2>Contact information</h2>

66 Canal Center Plaza

Alexandria, VA

Note: YellowPages.com shows AJS at 1240 N. Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; phone: (703) 535-3110 .<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_note-44" title="">[45]</a>

<h2>Articles and resources</h2>

<h3>Related SourceWatch articles</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jamestown_Associates" title="Jamestown Associates">Jamestown Associates</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Soft_money" title="Soft money">soft money</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Strategic_Media_Services" title="Strategic Media Services">Strategic Media Services</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Swiftboating" title="Swiftboating">swiftboating</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S.congressional_elections_in_2006:Robo_Calls" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006: Robo Calls">U.S. congressional elections in 2006: Robo Calls</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>References</h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.citizen.org/documents/AJS%20Evidentiary%20File.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.citizen.org/documents/AJS%20Evidentiary%20File.pdf" rel="nofollow">Evidentiary file for Americans for Job Security electioneering,</a> Center for Responsive Politics, April 2007. 41-page pdf.</li>

<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=16408" class="external text" title="http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=16408" rel="nofollow">"Stop AJS. Non-Profit Front Group Violates Tax Status, Electioneering Laws,"</a> Center for Responsive Politics/Public Citizen, April 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-open-2">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-open_2-0" title="">3.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-open_2-1" title="">3.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-open_2-2" title="">3.2</a> <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527events.asp?orgid=24" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527events.asp?orgid=24" rel="nofollow">"Americans for Job Security, 2004 Election Cycle</a>", Open Secrets.org, undated, accessed October 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-3" title="">↑</a> In March 2004, AJS was described as "<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Neoconservative" title="Neoconservative" class="mw-redirect">neoconservative</a>/far <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Right_wing" title="Right wing" class="mw-redirect">right wing</a> in The Texas Observer. See Jake Berstein, <a href="http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=1590" class="external text" title="http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=1590" rel="nofollow">"Meet the Attack Dogs. The Virginia-based Americans for Job Security loves to get involved in Texas politics,"</a> The Texas Observer, March 12, 2004.</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-4" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pubs/whospay/loophole.htm" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/pubs/whospay/loophole.htm" rel="nofollow">"Issue Ads: Loophole of the 2000s?"</a> OpenSecrets.org, undated.</li>

<li id="cite_note-WWT-5">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-WWT_5-0" title="">6.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-WWT_5-1" title="">6.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-WWT_5-2" title="">6.2</a> <a href="http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2006/10/controversial-americans-for-job.html" class="external text" title="http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2006/10/controversial-americans-for-job.html" rel="nofollow">"Controversial Americans For Job Security President Placed 'She' Anti-Holland Commercials; Document Shows He's Advertising Agency 'Partner',"</a> The McCarville Report Online, October 8, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-6" title="">↑</a> Al Kamen, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/AR2005061201239_2.html" class="external text" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/AR2005061201239_2.html" rel="nofollow">"Premium Pay,"</a> Washington Post, June 12, 2005.</li>

<li id="cite_note-7"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-7" title="">↑</a> Rosie Hunter and Chuck Collins, <a href="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Economics/DeathTax_Deception.html" class="external text" title="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Economics/DeathTax_Deception.html" rel="nofollow">"'Death Tax' Deception. Who's behind the movement to repeal the nation's only tax on inherited wealth?"</a> Dollars and Sense Magazine (ThirdWorldTraveler), January/February 2003.</li>

<li id="cite_note-clean-8">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-clean_8-0" title="">9.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-clean_8-1" title="">9.1</a> <a href="http://www.cleanupwashington.org/documents/astroturf.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.cleanupwashington.org/documents/astroturf.pdf" rel="nofollow">"Organizing Astroturf: Evidence Shows Bogus Grassroots Groups Hijack the Political Debate; Need for Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure Requirements</a> Public Citizen/CleaUpWashington.org, January 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-9"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-9" title="">↑</a> Jack Siegel, <a href="http://charitygovernance.blogs.com/charity_governance/2007/04/new_fundraising.html" class="external text" title="http://charitygovernance.blogs.com/charity_governance/2007/04/new_fundraising.html" rel="nofollow">"New Fundraising Opportunity for Charities: Turn Your Opponents in to the IRS and Collect the Bounty,"</a> Charity Governance Consulting LLC (Blog), April 12, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-10" title="">↑</a> "<a href="http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=16408" class="external text" title="http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=16408" rel="nofollow">Stop AFC: Non-Profit Front Group Violates Tax Status, Electioneering Laws</a>", Public Citizen, April 11, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-11" title="">↑</a> Carl Hulse, <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A02EEDD1F30F937A25754C0A9649C8B63&n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/South%20Dakota" class="external text" title="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A02EEDD1F30F937A25754C0A9649C8B63&n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/South%20Dakota" rel="nofollow">"Ads Push Estate Tax As Issue in Campaigns,"</a> New York Times, July 14, 2002.</li>

<li id="cite_note-12"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-12" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.politicalaccountability.net/files/PressRelease-HiddenRivers6-06.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.politicalaccountability.net/files/PressRelease-HiddenRivers6-06.pdf" rel="nofollow">"CPA report calls trade associations 'Swiss bank accounts of American politics,' hiding and spending corporate political funds and heightening risks for shareholders,"</a> Center for Political Accountability, May 15, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-13"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-13" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.progresspittsburgh.com/DocumentPage.php?blockid=394" class="external text" title="http://www.progresspittsburgh.com/DocumentPage.php?blockid=394" rel="nofollow">"Eileen Watt: Political Solutions hired for Council race,"</a> Progress Pittsburgh, February 18, 2005.</li>

<li id="cite_note-14"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-14" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.polsol.com/company.html" class="external text" title="http://www.polsol.com/company.html" rel="nofollow">About,</a> PolSol.com.</li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-15" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.pos.org/research/methodology.asp" class="external text" title="http://www.pos.org/research/methodology.asp" rel="nofollow">Research: Methodology: Mall Intercepts,</a> Public Opinion Strategies, accessed October 19, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-16"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-16" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://srcpmedia.com/contents/persuade/clients.shtml" class="external text" title="http://srcpmedia.com/contents/persuade/clients.shtml" rel="nofollow">Clients,</a> Stevens, Reed, Curcio and Potholm, accessed October 19, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-17"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-17" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/05/29/convicted_phone_jammer_helping_host_gop_candidate_workshop/" class="external text" title="http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/05/29/convicted_phone_jammer_helping_host_gop_candidate_workshop/" rel="nofollow">"Convicted phone-jammer helping host GOP candidate workshop,"</a> Associated Press (Boston Globe), May 29, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-18"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-18" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_ind/C00366906/" class="external text" title="http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_ind/C00366906/" rel="nofollow">Ray for Congress, FEC ID#C00366906,</a> FEC Disclosure. Michael D. Dubke is listed as "Crossroads Media/partner".</li>

<li id="cite_note-19"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-19" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.cfinst.org/interest_groups/nonprofits06_table3.aspx" class="external text" title="http://www.cfinst.org/interest_groups/nonprofits06_table3.aspx" rel="nofollow">"Soft Money in the 2006 Election and the Outlook for 2008: The Changing Nonprofits Landscape. Table 3: 501(c) Organizations Attempting to Influence 2006 Congressional Elections. Based on Reported IRS or FEC-defined Campaign Activities (Non-Comprehensive Listing),</a> Campaign Finance Institute, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-20"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-20" title="">↑</a> Marie Price, <a href="http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=5219045" class="external text" title="http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=5219045" rel="nofollow">"Campaign hijinks,"</a> The Journal Record (Oklahoma City, Okla.), July 31, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-mantooth-21">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-mantooth_21-0" title="">22.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-mantooth_21-1" title="">22.1</a> mantooth, <a href="http://squarecircuit.blogspot.com/2005/12/santorums-office-lying.html" class="external text" title="http://squarecircuit.blogspot.com/2005/12/santorums-office-lying.html" rel="nofollow">"Santorum's office lying?"</a> The Square Circuit Blogspot, December 2, 2005.</li>

<li id="cite_note-smar-22">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-smar_22-0" title="">23.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-smar_22-1" title="">23.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-smar_22-2" title="">23.2</a> Larry Smar, <a href="http://origin.www.bobcasey.com/blog/view/?id=62" class="external text" title="http://origin.www.bobcasey.com/blog/view/?id=62" rel="nofollow">"Special Interests Rescue Santorum with Ad,"</a> BobCasey.com, July 11, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-23"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-23" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.tns-mi.com/news/08222006.htm" class="external text" title="http://www.tns-mi.com/news/08222006.htm" rel="nofollow">"2006 Candidate Ad Spending up 150 Percent From Last Mid-terms; Spending Could Surpass Record 2004 Levels. Battle for House and Senate Majority Fueling Record Ad Spending,"</a> tns media intelligence, August 22, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-24"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-24" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.bobcasey.com/news/article/view/?id=75" class="external text" title="http://www.bobcasey.com/news/article/view/?id=75" rel="nofollow">"Who Owns You, Senator? So Who's giving Sen. Rick Santorum close to a $1 million to help in his re-election campaign?"</a> BobCasey.com, December 1, 2005.</li>

<li id="cite_note-25"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-25" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hatch" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hatch" rel="nofollow">Mike Hatch,</a> Wikipedia.</li>

<li id="cite_note-26"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-26" title="">↑</a> Michael B. Brodkorb, <a href="http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2006/11/03/statement-from-mn-gop-on-mike-hatch/" class="external text" title="http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2006/11/03/statement-from-mn-gop-on-mike-hatch/" rel="nofollow">"Statement from MN GOP on Mike Hatch,"</a> MinnesotaDemocratsExposed.com, November 3, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-MCF-27">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-MCF_27-0" title="">28.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-MCF_27-1" title="">28.1</a> <a href="http://www.cfbreport.state.mn.us/pdfStorage/2006/CampFin/B/40968.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.cfbreport.state.mn.us/pdfStorage/2006/CampFin/B/40968.pdf" rel="nofollow">Report of Receipts and Expenditures for A Stronger America-Minnesota</a> filed October 27, 2006, with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.</li>

<li id="cite_note-28"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-28" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/campfin/PCFDetail/PCF40968.html" class="external text" title="http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/campfin/PCFDetail/PCF40968.html" rel="nofollow">"Political Committees and Political Funds Registration Information: A Stronger America-Minnesota,</a> Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.</li>

<li id="cite_note-29"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-29" title="">↑</a> Tom Scheck, <a href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/hatchreact/" class="external text" title="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/hatchreact/" rel="nofollow">"Suddenly, campaign pits Hatch vs. Hubbard,"</a>, Minnesota Public Radio, November 3, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-30"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-30" title="">↑</a> Robin Marty, <a href="http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=688" class="external text" title="http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=688" rel="nofollow">"</a> Minnesota Monitor, November 2, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Gin-31">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Gin_31-0" title="">32.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Gin_31-1" title="">32.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Gin_31-2" title="">32.2</a> <a href="http://wcco.com/local/local_story_307153348.html" class="external text" title="http://wcco.com/local/local_story_307153348.html" rel="nofollow">"Anti-Hatch Ads Linked To Ex-Swift Boat Lawyer,"</a> Associated Press (CBS4 WCCO.com), November 3, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-32"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-32" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://wcco.com/election/local_story_353133839.html" class="external text" title="http://wcco.com/election/local_story_353133839.html" rel="nofollow">"Swift Boat Financier Paid For Anti-Hatch Ads,"</a> Associated Press (CBS4 WCCO.com), December 19, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-33"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-33" title="">↑</a> Pat Doyle, <a href="http://www.startribune.com/587/story/886589.html" class="external text" title="http://www.startribune.com/587/story/886589.html" rel="nofollow">" Swift Boat contributor funded ads against Hatch,"</a> Star-Tribune.com (Minn.), December 20, 2006.</li>

<li id="cite_note-com-34">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-com_34-0" title="">35.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-com_34-1" title="">35.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-com_34-2" title="">35.2</a> <a href="http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/bdinfo/investigation/070508_Stronger.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/bdinfo/investigation/070508_Stronger.pdf" rel="nofollow">Findings and Order in the matter of the Complaint of the Minnesota DFL Party regarding A Stronger America - Minnesota. Summary of the Complaint and Responses,</a> Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, May 7, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-King-35">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-King_35-0" title="">36.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-King_35-1" title="">36.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-King_35-2" title="">36.2</a> Michael King, <a href="http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A193938" class="external text" title="http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A193938" rel="nofollow">"It's Sadler and Eltife, Seliger and Edwards,"</a> The Austin Chronicle, January 23, 2004.</li>

<li id="cite_note-36"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-36" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/notebook/page.cfm?pageid=21" class="external text" title="http://www.stealthpacs.org/notebook/page.cfm?pageid=21" rel="nofollow">"Americans for Job Security,"</a> StealthPacs.org, October 5, 2004.</li>

<li id="cite_note-strom-37">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-strom_37-0" title="">38.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-strom_37-1" title="">38.1</a> <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A22091" class="external text" title="http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A22091" rel="nofollow">"The companies he keeps. Richard Burr is Congress’ No. 1 recipient of money from Big Tobacco—and a host of other special interests. So, who does he really represent?"</a> Independent Weekly (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.), July 7, 2004.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Walt-38">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Walt_38-0" title="">39.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Walt_38-1" title="">39.1</a> Walter Shapiro, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/shapiro/2003-06-19-hype_x.htm" class="external text" title="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/shapiro/2003-06-19-hype_x.htm" rel="nofollow">"White House money machine may spawn gremlins,"</a> USA TODAY, June 19, 2003.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Con-39">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Con_39-0" title="">40.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-Con_39-1" title="">40.1</a> Joe Conason, <a href="http://archive.salon.com/politics/conason/2002/10/24/bush/index.html" class="external text" title="http://archive.salon.com/politics/conason/2002/10/24/bush/index.html" rel="nofollow">"The most ridiculous, shameless lie in this campaign season,"</a> Joe Conason's Journal/Salon, October 24, 2002.</li>

<li id="cite_note-40"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-40" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:pIhUD6p52DwJ:www.politicalaccountability.net/files/TAMicrosoft10-16-06.pdf+%22Americans+for+Job+Security%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=39&gl=us&client=news" class="external text" title="http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:pIhUD6p52DwJ:www.politicalaccountability.net/files/TAMicrosoft10-16-06.pdf+%22Americans+for+Job+Security%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=39&gl=us&client=news" rel="nofollow">"Political Transparency and Accountability Profile (2006): Microsoft,"</a> PoliticalAccountability.net.</li>

<li id="cite_note-41"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-41" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.ncec.org/publications/newsletter/Jul_2000_election_update.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.ncec.org/publications/newsletter/Jul_2000_election_update.pdf" rel="nofollow">Election Update,</a> National Committee for an Effective Congress, July/August 2000.</li>

<li id="cite_note-42"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-42" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/agent.cfm?Org_ID=41" class="external text" title="http://www.stealthpacs.org/agent.cfm?Org_ID=41" rel="nofollow">Consultants: Americans for Job Security,</a> StealthPacs.org.</li>

<li id="cite_note-43"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-43" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/agent.cfm?agent_id=863" class="external text" title="http://www.stealthpacs.org/agent.cfm?agent_id=863" rel="nofollow">Agent: Michael Dubke,</a> StealthPacs.org.</li>

<li id="cite_note-44"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security#cite_ref-44" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://yellowpages.washingtonpost.com/Americans+For+Job+Security.327671.81768050.home.html" class="external text" title="http://yellowpages.washingtonpost.com/Americans+For+Job+Security.327671.81768050.home.html" rel="nofollow">Americans For Job Security,</a> YellowPages.com, accessed October 18, 2007.</li>

</ol>

<h3>External resources</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eaction/ads2/adamjobsec.html" class="external text" title="http://www.gwu.edu/_{action/ads2/adamjobsec.html}" rel="nofollow">Ad: "So think hard America"</a> (30 sec. TV spot running in Tampa Nov. 2000); posted by George Washington University.</li>

<li>Stephen R. Weissman and Kara D. Ryan,<a href="http://www.cfinst.org/books_reports/pdf/NP_SoftMoney_0608.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.cfinst.org/books_reports/pdf/NP_SoftMoney_0608.pdf" rel="nofollow">"Soft Money,"</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Campaign_Finance_Institute" title="Campaign Finance Institute">Campaign Finance Institute</a>, Washington,DC, 2007.</li>

<li><a href="http://www.stealthpacs.org/profile.cfm?org_id=41" class="external text" title="http://www.stealthpacs.org/profile.cfm?org_id=41" rel="nofollow">Profile: Americans for Job Security Profile,</a> Stealthpacs.org/Public Citizen, undated, accessed April 2007.</li>

</ul>

<h3><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Job_Security/external_articles" title="Americans for Job Security/external articles">External articles</a></h3>

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