Malek, Fred
-=-=
DEAD 82 YO
koch?
SEE AM ACTION NETWORK
SINGER HARLAN CROW SIMMONS GILLESPIE ORIGIN DALLAS PETROL CLUB MTG
2x
Commentary & Analysis
June 15, 2023
Harlan Crow’s deep dark money connections
By Adam Rappaport and Meghan Faulkner
Harlan Crow is more than Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s secret patron—he’s also deeply intertwined with the shadowy world of Republican dark money. In fact, Crow personally took part in the creation of the post-Citizens United dark money system and secretly helped bankroll some of the new groups.
Crow’s political spending started long before Citizens United opened the floodgates for anonymous money in American elections in 2010. Between 1977 and 2009, Crow and his companies gave more than $2.4 million to federal candidates, parties, PACs, and other political entities. Since Citizens United, he’s spent $13.8 million on federal politics, bringing his lifetime total of spending reported to the FEC to more than $16 million. But that’s not all he did. While it is impossible to track Crow’s undisclosed political giving, public information demonstrates his longstanding ties to the biggest figures and groups in Republican dark money.
One of Crow’s first forays into large donations was by providing some of the initial financing of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an organization that spent millions running attack ads in 2004 against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and was later fined nearly $300,000 by the Federal Election Commission for failing to register as a political committee. Later, in 2009, Crow and his company spent more than $5 million on a failed ballot initiative in Dallas trying to block the city from building a city-owned convention center hotel which would have competed with Crow’s hotel.
Immediately after Citizens United, Crow took part in one of the first key events leading to the creation of the dark money system. As recounted by Kenneth Vogel in his book Big Money and separately by the Wall Street Journal, just weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision in January 2010, four leading Republican political figures set out to obtain the “seed funding” they needed to launch several post-Citizens United groups.
The four Republicans: consultant and former Bush White House aide Karl Rove, former RNC Chairman Ed Gillsepie, fundraiser Fred Malek, and former senator Norm Coleman, “laid out their blueprint for a sort of shadow party” to about “20 Republican plutocrats” at the Dallas Petroleum Club in early February 2010. They wanted funding for a network of what became some of the biggest players in outside political spending, including super PAC American Crossroads, which Rove explained would work to defeat then-President Obama and win Republican control of Congress, and dark money group the American Action Network.
Crow was one of the deep-pocketed billionaires who attended the fundraiser. Whether he gave that day or how much is not known. But after hearing Rove’s pitch, another Texas megadonor, Harold Simmons, proclaimed “I like this. I’m in for five [million].” Others followed suit.
Even as the Supreme Court was deliberating Citizens United, Crow reportedly provided the major funding for Liberty Central, another dark money group, this one with links to Justice Thomas. Liberty Central was a 501(c)(4) organization founded by Ginni Thomas in late 2009 that counted Federalist Society co-chair Leonard Leo as a board member. Ms. Thomas served as president through November 2010 and was paid a salary of more than $120,000. According to Politico, of the $550,000 in anonymous start-up funds the group received in 2009, $500,000 came from Crow, who also held an event for the group at his Dallas home a few months after it launched.
Liberty Central engaged in partisan politics during Ginni Thomas’s time in charge. The group acknowledged on its 2010 tax return that it spent a small amount of money on political activity, but as described in a 2012 IRS complaint filed by Common Cause, Liberty Central appeared to do far more than that, endorsing and supporting dozens of House and Senate candidates, conducting polling, and issuing scorecards of congressional candidates.
Asked later about his support of the group, Crow refused to even confirm his contribution, saying: “I disclose what I’m required by law to disclose, and I don’t disclose what I’m not required to disclose.”
“Crow has taken full advantage of the diminishing transparency laws around our politics.”
In 2011, Crow also made a contribution to another notorious dark money group called Americans for Job Security (AJS), which was uncovered by a CREW lawsuit and has not been previously reported. AJS spent more than $25 million in federal independent expenditures and electioneering communications in the 2010 and 2012 elections, making it one of the largest dark money groups at the time.
CREW filed an FEC complaint against the group in 2012, alleging that it should have registered as a political committee and disclosed its donors. After years of litigation, AJS settled the case, resulting in the first and largest release of dark money donors in the post-Citizens United era. The disclosure showed that Crow, through his company Crow Holdings, gave AJS $50,000 in May 2011.
How much more Crow has given to dark money groups over the years is unknown. He has, however, also donated huge amounts to super PACs closely associated with dark money groups, including several Rove and others pitched to him just after Citizens United. Between 2011 and 2018, Crow personally and through his companies gave $2.5 million to super PAC American Crossroads, which is closely related to dark money groups Crossroads GPS and One Nation. Crow also gave almost $1.5 million between 2016 and 2022 to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC sister of the American Action Network.
Crow’s secret political contributions and undisclosed gifts to Justice Thomas can be seen as two sides of the same coin, offering opportunities to exercise influence, while keeping the public in the dark about who is pulling the strings.
We do know that Crow has given extensively to politicians and political committees, thanks to reporting requirements, and that he has given significant gifts to Thomas, thanks to investigative reporting. But that spending is just what Crow and Thomas have been forced to disclose, and what came out against their will. In helping bankroll the Republican network of dark money groups following Citizens United, Crow has taken full advantage of the diminishing transparency laws around our politics—which Justice Thomas has been instrumental in dismantling. As a result, we will likely never know the true impact of Crow’s political spending on our government and our elections.
-=-=
DUCK 9 26
American Action Network
https://www.americanactionnetwork.org › people › fred-malek
Fred Malek - American Action Network
In addition to his business activities, Mr. Malek served on and was Chairman of the Board of Visitors of West Point, and is currently Chairman of the Republican Governors Association Executive Roundtable, Finance Chairman of Republican Governors Association, Founder and Board Member of the American Action Network, Chairman of the Congressional Leadership Fund, Founder and Chairman of the ...
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Fred_Malek
Fred Malek - Wikipedia
Toggle the table of contents Fred Malek
American Action Network
https://www.americanactionnetwork.org
Home - American Action Network
The American Action Network is an 'action tank' that will create, encourage and promote center-right policies based on the principles of freedom, limited government, American exceptionalism, and strong national security.
thebackroomfiles.substack.com
https://thebackroomfiles.substack.com › p › the-hidden-donors-behind-wage-policy
The Hidden Donors Behind Wage Policy: American Action Network's $69M ...
Sep 22, 2025The Recipients AAN serves as the main conduit, a D.C.-based "action tank" founded in 2010 by Fred Malek and Norm Coleman, per Wikipedia. With $69 million in 2024 spending verified by the Brennan Center, AAN targeted swing districts with TV and digital ads, often coordinating with super PACs like the Congressional Leadership Fund.
the Hidden Donors Behind Wage Policy: American Action Network’s $69M Assault
clc Introduction: Setting the Scene
In the 2024 election cycle, a flood of secret money drowned out calls for fair pay, with over $1.9 billion in dark money influencing races nationwide. This article uncovers how the American Action Network (AAN), a conservative 501(c)(4) group, targeted House races with $69 million in ads to kill minimum wage bills, backed by hidden retail donor LLCs. Using public records, we’ll reveal who funded this push, who received the cash, the policy at stake, how it played out, and the devastating toll on American workers. Hidden donors distort wage policy, trapping millions in poverty while lining corporate pockets.
The Donors
Ultra-wealthy retail tycoons and business interests hide behind LLCs to fund anti-wage hikes, dodging disclosure rules. AAN, aligned with Republican leaders, relies on anonymous contributions routed through Delaware LLCs, a tactic used in 60% of dark money flows per the Brennan Center. Key suspects include retail giants like Walmart or Target affiliates, whose executives donated millions to similar groups in past cycles, per OpenSecrets. For instance, undisclosed donors funneled $425 million to conservative funds like DonorsTrust in 2021, supporting anti-labor efforts. These donors prioritize low labor costs, saving billions in payroll while exploiting IRS loopholes where Schedule B lists stay private.
The Recipients
AAN serves as the main conduit, a D.C.-based “action tank” founded in 2010 by Fred Malek and Norm Coleman, per Wikipedia. With $69 million in 2024 spending verified by the Brennan Center, AAN targeted swing districts with TV and digital ads, often coordinating with super PACs like the Congressional Leadership Fund. Sister groups like the American Action Forum produce “research” backing their claims. These recipients, rated low on transparency by Charity Navigator, launder funds into issue ads without revealing sources, per OpenSecrets, amplifying donor agendas in key House races.
The Policy
The target: blocking a federal minimum wage hike to $15/hour, framed as a “job killer” despite evidence it boosts low-income earnings. AAN’s ads hammered bills like the Raise the Wage Act, which would have lifted pay for 32 million workers by 2025, per EPI. OpenSecrets tracks $100 million in dark money ads during 2021-2024 debates, pushing myths of massive job losses while ignoring CBO projections of 900,000 lifted from poverty. This isn’t neutral policy—it’s engineered opposition, exploiting IRS rules to keep donors secret.
The Implementation
Funds flow fast: Donors wire cash to AAN via LLCs, which buys ads through firms like AdImpact-tracked buys. In 2024, AAN’s $69 million blitz hit 50+ House districts, airing spots claiming wage hikes “crush small businesses,” per Wesleyan Media Project data. Step 1: Funnel money to AAN. Step 2: Coordinate with GOP leadership for targeted airings. Step 3: Flood swing states with digital/TV spots, peaking pre-midterms. This stalled bills in Congress, with dark money groups like AAN briefing lawmakers off-record, per Brennan Center.
The Effect on the Public
The human cost is brutal: Stalled hikes left 30 million workers earning poverty wages ($15,060/year for full-time at $7.25/hour), below the 2025 poverty line of $15,650, per EPI. Food insecurity rose 8% in 2023-2025, affecting 13.5% of households, per USDA, as low pay forced cuts to basics. BLS data shows 15% of the workforce (22 million) stuck below $15/hour, spiking ER visits by 20% among low-income families and adding $50 billion in uncompensated care, per CMS. Inequality widened, with the top 1% capturing 20% more gains, eroding trust in fair play.
Why It Matters and What’s Next
Hidden donors like retail LLCs rig wage policy against workers, fueling poverty and division. While legal under Citizens United, it’s a flaw begging reform—like IRS disclosure mandates from the Campaign Legal Center. At The Backroom Files, we’re tracking: join to demand transparency. Who’s next on the donor hit list?
-=-=
duck 9 26
dailycallernewsfoundation.org
https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org › 2026 › 01 › 14 › house-gop-congressional-leadership-fund-america-action-network-midterms
GOP Spending Groups Race Ahead Of Democrat Rivals In Fundraising
Jan 14, 2026House Republicans' largest outside spending groups are leading their Democratic counterparts in fundraising ahead of November's midterm elections. The House GOP leadership aligned-Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) and its associated nonprofit, the American Action Network (AAN), reported a $136 million fundraising haul in 2025.
Center for Public Integrity
https://publicintegrity.org › politics › nonprofit-profile-american-action-network
Nonprofit profile: American Action Network - Center for Public Integrity
Billionaire Kenneth Langone, a prominent New York venture capitalist and co-founder of Home Depot, sits on the board of American Action Network, as does Fred Malek, a co-founder of the group and a top GOP fundraiser. Meanwhile, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbouris an adviser to American Action Network, and Jeb Bush, the former Republican governor of Florida, is a board member of the ...
New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com › 2019 › 03 › 27 › obituaries › fred-malek-dead.html
Fred Malek, 82, Republican Fund-Raiser and Presidential Adviser, Dies
Mar 27, 2019The American Action Network, a conservative advocacy group that Mr. Malek co-founded, announced the death. His family said he died of complications of an infection after hip surgery.
grokipedia.com
https://grokipedia.com › page › American_Action_Network
American Action Network - grokipedia.com
The American Action Network (AAN) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman and Republican strategist Fred Malek, operating as a conservative "action tank" to promote center-right policies through issue advocacy, targeted advertising, and grassroots mobilization. Guided by principles of individual freedom, limited ...
Wikiwand
https://www.wikiwand.com › en › articles › American_Action_Network
American Action Network - Wikiwand
The American Action Network is an advocacy group, incorporated on July 23, 2009,[1]and founded by Fred Malek, founder of Thayer Capital and former Republican National Committeedeputy chairman. The organization says that it was founded to promote and support center rightissues, conceived in part to
===
-=-=
aug 2017
off bs
WASHINGTON— The Wilson Center welcomes the White House's announcement Wednesday of the appointment of businessman and philanthropist Fred Malek to chair the Board. Malek takes the helm of the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum from Tom Nides, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley and former United States Deputy Secretary of State.
“I am lucky to have a third extremely capable Chair appointed by the White House during my tenure at the Center,” said Director, President, and CEO Jane Harman. “Fred has long supported the Center in many capacities and earned the Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2004. Beyond that, Fred and his wife Marlene are dear personal friends.”
“Fred has been my wingman as we built an effective Global Advisory Council at the Center,” said Nides. “His West Point training has served him and us well, and he brings enormous skills to this new role.”
The Wilson Center, chartered by Congress as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is ranked one of the top ten think tanks in the world by the University of Pennsylvania. It is dedicated to tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue.
"I have been involved with the Center for decades and have big shoes to fill,” said Malek. “I look forward to partnering with Jane to continue to provide thought leadership and scholarship to the policy communities in the U.S. and abroad.”
Ambassador Joe Gildenhorn, head of the Wilson Cabinet and Chair from 2002-2012 added, “Alma and I are delighted that Fred will assume the role of Chairmanship of the Wilson Center. We look forward to working with him and support his efforts to enhance the mission of the Center.”
BIO: Fred Malek is Founder and Chairman of Thayer Lodging, a Brookfield Company. Mr. Malek led the acquisition of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, was one of three leaders in the acquisition of Northwest Airlines, led the acquisition of CBRE, and was a partner with former President George W. Bush in owning the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. Previously, Mr. Malek was President and CEO of Marriott Hotels, President and CEO of Northwest Airlines, and Co-Chairman of CBRE. During his eight year tenure as president of Marriott Hotels, profits quintupled, and the stock increased eight fold. In addition to his business activities, Mr. Malek is an active philanthropist. He served on and was Chairman of the Board of Visitors of West Point, and is currently Founder and Board Member of the American Action Network, Founder and Chairman of the American Action Forum, and is Chairman of the American Friends of the Czech Republic. He received the 2014 Distinguished Graduate award from West Point (West Point’s highest honor), the ADL Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League in 2014, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, and was inducted into the Horatio Alger Society in 2011.
==
ctr publ integ 2010
Republicans nationwide have long relied on Washington venture capitalist Fred Malek to haul in big bucks for their committees and campaigns, but this year the silver-haired Malek is doing double duty of sorts.
Early this year, Malek, 73, founded the American Action Network, a self-styled “action tank” — rather than a think tank — which boasts a 501(c)(4) advocacy arm that is trying to raise $20 million to $25 million to help elect dozens of GOP Senate and House candidates in such key states as New Hampshire, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Malek wrote a large check to launch the network and chairs its operations. He works closely with its top leaders — former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, the CEO of the network, and Rob Collins, a former chief of staff to House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who is president of the advocacy operation.
At the same time, Malek has been doing yeoman’s work roping in large individual donors for the Republican Governors Association which under the leadership of Mississippian Haley Barbour has witnessed a humongous jump in fundraising.
Malek, who raised lots of cash for the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain in 2008, was tapped by Barbour about a year ago to recruit wealthy donors to give at least $25,000 to join the RGA’s executive roundtable. Since Malek became chairman of the program, the program’s membership has soared from under two dozen to more than over 500.
The roundtable’s burgeoning roster is a big reason why the RGA pulled in a whopping $19 million in the second quarter this year — more than double what it did in the first quarter — and is on track to raise record sums this election cycle.
Malek has attracted big donors nationwide, but sources say that — working with Barbour — he has had especially good luck in New York tapping some Wall Street GOP sugar daddies, such as Paul Singer, the CEO of hedge fund Elliott Management. This April, Singer wrote a $500,000 check to the RGA. “There’s a lot of buyer’s remorse on Wall Street over the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress,” Malek told the Center.
To help lure big checks, Malek has organized several events with prominent governors so that donors can spend some quality time with them in relaxed settings. One example: Last summer donors were invited to a posh hotel in Aspen, Colo. (where Malek, a McLean, Va., resident, has a second home), to attend a weekend of meetings, dinners, and golf with several governors, including Barbour, Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty, and Texas’ Rick Perry.
Former RGA finance chairman and lobbyist Ron Kaufman of Dutko Associates says that Malek’s success at RGA money harvesting “makes our efforts pale by comparison.”
Malek’s career in Washington goes way back to the first Nixon administration when he held several posts before becoming deputy director of Nixon’s re-election campaign in 1972. Malek ran the re-election campaign of George H.W. Bush in 1992 and co-chaired the finance effort for McCain in 2008.
More stories about
Haley Barbour, Republican Governors Association, Fred Malek, Malek, American Action Network, Washington, D.C.
==
wiki
American Action Network:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Malek is founder, chairman and one of three primary financial supporters of the American Action Network, a 501(c)(4) center-right think tank established in January 2010 to promote policies based on the principles of freedom, limited government, and strong national security.
Republican Governors Association:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Malek also chairs the Executive roundtable meetings of the Republican Governors Association, an organization supporting the election of Republican governors.[31] In 2012 it was announced that Malek agreed to serve as the Republican Governors Association's Finance Chairman.[32] Before gubernatorial elections in 2013 and 2014, the RGA, under Malek's leadership, outpaced the Democratic Governors Association by about $10 million.[33]
==
...Every year or so, poor old Fred Malek, the GOP fundraiser, has to suffer through a callback to his youthful indiscretions, like that one crazy time in his twenties that he and his friends were caught drunkenly barbecuing a dog on a spit, or the wacky moment in his thirties when he counted the Jews in the Bureau of Labor Statistics so President Nixon could demote them, or the hilarious time in his sixties when the Securities and Exchange Commissioned ordered him to personally pay a $100,000 fine for allegedly using taxpayer funds to reward a political supporter. *(Youth!)
..
Why Can't People Forgive Fred Malek for a Little Dog-Roasting? - The ...
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/04/why...fred-malek.../329338/
2.
[In 1994, while Newt Gingrich and Co. took control [9] of Congress and rang in the Republican Revolution, the RGA was instrumental in the election of 11 GOP governors and successfully defended every Republican incumbent. When the dust settled, Republicans controlled 30 governorships, their first majority since 1970. The last time Republicans had performed so well in gubernatorial races was 1867.
Beyond its electoral victories, the RGA established itself as a launching pad for Republicans with presidential aspirations. The group helped to foster alliances between GOP governors and gave them access to deep-pocketed donors and top fundraisers, helping to catapult politicians like Ronald Reagan (an RGA chairman), George W. Bush, Rick Perry (twice chairman), Mitt Romney (2006 chairman), and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie [10] (current vice chair) onto the national stage.
The RGA's rise has been fueled by a close alliance with corporate America—especially tobacco companies and Big Pharma. In the mid-'90s, the organization awarded seats on its board to executives from Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, which each donated $40,000 a year. In November 1995, tobacco lobbyists swarmed the RGA's annual meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, pressing governors to write letters opposing pending tobacco regulations from the Food and Drug Administration. In exchange for their support, the tobacco companies pledged financial backing when election time rolled around. They came through: In February 1996, Philip Morris held a Washington, DC, gala for the RGA that raised $2.6 million.
The increasing influence of corporate donors turned off some Republican governors, including Arne Carlson, Minnesota's governor from 1991 to 1999. Carlson recalls attending a few RGA meetings, but he stopped going due to the group's increasingly partisan tenor and insistence that donors be given access to the governors. "It was no longer Republican governors getting together," Carlson says. "It was the moneyed interests getting together with governors. I found it detestable."
In June 2002, the McCain-Feingold Act went into effect [11], banning federal party committees from raising "soft money"—donations from labor unions and corporations outside the scope of federal campaign finance law. So to keep the corporate cash flowing, the RGA officially broke away [12] from the Republican National Committee (of which it had been an affiliate) and established itself as a 527 tax-exempt group. That way it could continue raising soft money from banks, drug companies, and energy companies. (A few years earlier the DGA had parted ways with the Democratic National Committee for the same reasons.)
Today, RGA's donor list [5] reads like a who's who of corporate titans: Koch Industries, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, AT&T, and Pfizer. The organization's largest donor in both the 2008 and 2010 elections was Perry Homes, the homebuilding empire run by Bob Perry, which plunked down $1.15 million in 2008 and $8 million in 2010.
But as the corporate money gushed in, the RGA ran afoul of the law. In 2008, a top official with the North Carolina state elections board testified that the RGA had illegally funneled contributions to its North Carolina PAC. (The elections board ultimately declined to pursue the matter.) Last October, a Vermont judge ruled [13] that the RGA violated state elections law when it ran ads supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidate without registering as a state PAC. (The RGA argued the spots were merely issue ads.)
In 2012, the RGA promises to be a force to be reckoned with. Led by chief [14] fundraiser Fred Malek[15], the finance co-chairman of John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, the RGA had by last fall raised $22 million (twice as much as the DGA) for the 2012 election cycle. Don't be surprised if that money starts turning up in odd places again, says Mike McCabe, who tracks money in state politics at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign: "It's a deliberate strategy to keep the public in the dark about who is really buying our elections."
]]
:{
}:](https://www.google.com/search?q=related:https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/04/why-cant-people-forgive-fred-malek-little-dog-roasting/329338/+fred+malek&tbo=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiL0NGzmITcAhVNEawKHSE-AMEQHwg7MAI)
Fred Malek
**AAN Chair**Fred Malek was President Richard Nixon's White House personnel chief during the Watergate scandal,"and helped dispense patronage for major Nixon donors as well as serving as deputy director of CREEP" (the Committee to Re-Elect the President). ^[12]^ CREEP employed money laundering in its political activities, and was directly and actively involved in the Watergate scandal.[13] "Malek is perhaps most famous for his central role in responding to Nixon's request for a count of Jews employed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics."[14]
- Malek engineered Nixon's "Responsiveness Program," which aimed to politicize the executive branch and take advantage of the power of the incumbency to direct federal resources towards ensuring Nixon's re-election.[15] ^[13]^ This included The "Responsiveness Program" was censured by the Senate Watergate Committee. The committee found that the program was aimed at influencing decisions concerning government "grants, contracts, loans, subsidies, procurement and construction projects," decisions regarding "legal and regulatory actions," and even personnel decisions that affected protected "career positions" -- all to advance Nixon's reelection.[16]
- In 1971, the Washington Post reported that Malek had ordered the FBI to conduct an investigation of then-veteran CBS correspondent and Nixon critic Daniel Schorr. ^[16]^
- Malek was known as "the hatchet" in the Nixon administration "because of his alleged ruthlessness in paring the workforce and ousting those deemed disloyal to the Nixon administration."[16]
- "Malek is perhaps most famous for his central role in responding to Nixon's request for a count of Jews employed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics."[17] "Less than two months later, two senior BLS officials who were Jewish were moved out of their jobs to less visible posts. Malek acknowledges carrying out the disgusting hunt for Jews, but he denies having anything to do with the transfers."[16] However, a recently released memo suggests that he may be lying.
- Malek was nominated to govern the U.S. Post Office by Ronald Reagaon in 1982, but failed to achieve Senate confirmation not only because of his role in the Responsiveness Program, but also because he made conflicting statements under oath about his role in the program. ^[16]^
- George H.W. Bush appointed Malek to head the Republican National Committee in 1988, but he was forced to resign after Bob Woodward followed up on his Watergate reporting and reminded America about Malek's BLS "jew-count." ^[18]^
- Malek's net worth is reportedly $250 million.
- Malek paid a $100,000 fine to the **Securities and Exchange Commission** in a case involving a fraudulent pension fund scheme. He was John McCain's National Finance Committee co-chair in the 2008 election. He served as a director of Fannie Mae during the period in which CEO **Franklin Raines** was forced out by regulators and when Raines left the federal mortgage guarantor with a pension worth over $100,000 a month and over $5 million in stock options. Malek made his initial fortune as CEO of Marriott Hotels and is part of the Carlyle Group. He is also a George W. Bush crony who was part of the syndicate that bought the Texas Rangers, one of Bush's failed businesses. His reputation has been tainted by evidence he carried out some of President Nixon's dirty work in identifying Jewish federal employees, resulting in his resignation as Deputy Chairman of the Republican National Committee, even though he was George H.W. Bush's pick for that post back in 1988.
* **Fred Malek**, whose net worth is reportedly $250 million and who paid a $100,000 fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission in a case involving a fraudulent pension fund scheme. He was John McCain's National Finance Committee co-chair in the 2008 election. He served as a director of Fannie Mae during the period in which CEO Franklin Raines was forced out by regulators and when Raines left the federal mortgage guarantor with a pension worth over $100,000 a month and over $5 million in stock options. Malek made his initial fortune as CEO of Marriott Hotels and is part of the Carlyle Group. He is also a George W. Bush crony who was part of the syndicate that bought the Texas Rangers, one of Bush's failed businesses. His reputation has been tainted by evidence he carried out some of President Nixon's dirty work in identifying Jewish federal employees, resulting in his resignation as Deputy Chairman of the Republican National Committee, even though he was George H.W. Bush's pick for that post back in 1988.
Malek, F
The Illicit Action Network
Submitted by Brendan Fischer on October 29,2010- 3:57pm.
Fred MalekFred Malek (from YouTube)The Center for Media and Democracy continues its series exposing the right-wing political operatives, billionaires, and corporate executives behind the American Action Network (AAN), the group running grossly misleading ads attacking Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold. This week, we highlight AAN board member and CREEP-er, Fred Malek.
Our past articles have suggested that AAN is attacking Russ Feingold as revenge for his votes for financial reform, and against TARP and the Wall Street bailout. We have demonstrated that some of AAN’s board members benefited personally from TARP and the Wall Street bailout, and are trying to convince voters to support corporatist candidates who will do their bidding and stall needed financial reforms. We’ve also noted how the Washington, D.C.-based AAN operates under a veil of secrecy, collecting over $25 million from anonymous corporate donors. American Action Network Chair Fred Malek is well versed in punishing those considered “disloyal” and carrying out acts of deception.
Fred Malek was President Richard Nixon's White House personnel chief during the Watergate scandal, attacking Nixon’s critics and managing CREEP (the Committee to Re-Elect the President), the infamous group responsible for the Watergate scandal. He is perhaps most famous for his central role in responding to Nixon's request for a count of Jews employed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The dishonesty Malek demonstrated working for "Tricky Dick" is only one point on his life's continuum, but representative; chairing the American Action Network is a fitting bookend to a lifetime of deception.
What a CREEP
Malek worked in a variety of roles under Nixon, including White House personnel chief, and was known as "The Hatchet" because of his “alleged ruthlessness in paring the workforce and ousting those deemed disloyal to the Nixon administration."
“The Hatchet” was deputy director of the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP), was involved in money laundering, and was directly and actively involved in the Watergate scandal. He organized CREEP’s “Responsiveness Program,” which aimed to politicize the executive branch and take advantage of the power of the incumbency to direct federal resources towards ensuring Nixon's re-election. This included replacing civil servants and nonpolitical government workers who refused to participate in Nixon's reelection campaign, and directing federal grants and loan money towards Nixon supporters. Malek helped dispense patronage and government favors for major Nixon donors, including allegedly shutting down investigations of discrimination claims and other illegal actions.
Malek took great care to falsely structure the program and keep it secret so Nixon’s White House would be protected in case of a leak. In a 1972 memo, Malek wrote "[n]o written communications from the White House to the Departments -- all information about the program would be transmitted verbally . . . documents prepared would not indicate White House involvement in any way." This sleight of hand and secrecy sounds awfully similar to American Action Network’s efforts to hide its donors.
Malek and the Responsiveness Program were deservedly censured by the Senate Watergate Committee. Despite his disgraceful activities, Malek remained well-connected in Republican circles, and a few years later, then-President Ronald Reagan nominated Malek to be a governor of the U.S. Postal Service. The Republican-led Senate Governmental Affairs Committee refused to pass Malek's nomination after reviewing his role in CREEP and the Watergate scandal. In the hearings, Sen. John Danforth (R-Missouri) stated "my understanding of the responsiveness program, whether it was legal or illegal ... is that it was wrong, just plain wrong.” And Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan) described Malek’s role as "unethical, immoral and improper," noting that Malek "spearheaded a calculated, systematic effort to sell government favors to the highest bidder in the Nixon reelection campaign and to punish low bidders or the nonbidders."
Domestic Surveillance of Political Opponents
In 1971, the Washington Post reported that Malek had ordered the FBI to conduct an investigation of then-veteran CBS correspondent and Nixon critic Daniel Schorr. In response to the Nixon administration’s domestic surveillance and intelligence abuses, Congress passed regulations to protect Americans’ civil liberties, some of which were reversed under the PATRIOT Act, or “reinterpreted” by Bush. Senator Russ Feingold, who Malek’s American Action Network is attacking, was the lone Senator to oppose the PATRIOT Act.
"Jew-counting" at the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Malek is most infamous for his central role in responding to Nixon's despicable request for a count of Jews employed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In 1971, Nixon became convinced the BLS had come under the control of Democratic rivals and what Nixon termed a "Jewish cabal." Malek compiled a list of 13 of 35 top BLS employees who he believed to be Jewish based on their names, and within two months, two senior Jewish BLS officials were demoted.
Although Malek acknowledges carrying out the disgusting “Jew-count,” he denies having anything to do with the transfers. However, a recently released memo suggests that he may be lying (pdf). Even if Malek is not anti-semitic (many Jewish leaders have risen to his defense), the incident suggests Malek lacks integrity and ethical judgment.
Ever the well-connected Republican, Malek was appointed to head the Republican National Committee in 1988 by President George H.W. Bush. He was forced to resign after Bob Woodward followed up on his Watergate reporting and reminded America about Malek's BLS "Jew-count."
SEC Penalties for Fraud and Taxpayer Money-Laundering
Post-Nixon, Malek’s misdeeds continued. In 2004, the Securities and Exchange Commission fined Malek $100,000 personally, and his company, Thayer Investments, $150,000, in a case involving money laundering and a fraudulent pension fund scheme. In 1998, Malek wanted the state of Connecticut to increase its state pension fund investments with Thayer Investments, and Connecticut’s treasurer, Paul J. Silvester, wanted to reward his friend and political supporter William DiBella, a former majority leader of the Connecticut Senate. Malek’s company hired DiBella, and even though he did no work, paid him a percentage of the taxpayer-funded state pension fund's total investment with Thayer. In turn, according to the SEC, Connecticut treasurer Silvester increased the state’s pension fund investment with Malek’s company "by at least $25 million (to a total of $75 million) solely to secure a larger fee for DiBella."
According to SEC counsel, "[T]his matter is especially egregious because it involves the investment of public pension fund money, thereby violating the public trust and corrupting the investment process." Although Malek and his company settled the SEC’s lawsuit against him before assigning more serious penalties, Silvester was later sentenced to four years in jail, and DiBella paid a nearly $800,000 settlement.
Early Indiscretions Suggest a Lifetime of Unethical Judgment
Finally, although many people do stupid things in their youth, Malek was arrested at age 22 for being part of a group that [[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61538-2004Aug12.html killed a dog], then skinned, gutted and barbecued it on a spit. Charges against Malek were dropped when one of his compatriots confessed to killing the animal with a 2 x 4 plank and eviscerating it. Malek claimed that he was out-of-his-mind drunk and in no position to stop the events.
Can Americans Trust Malek or His American Action Network?
Throughout his life, Malek has found himself involved in nefarious deeds, and has feigned innocence each time. In his 20’s, Malek said he was in no position to stop the murder and evisceration of a dog; in his 30’s, he alleged he could not resist Nixon’s corruptive efforts to politicize the government, illegally punish dissidents, and purge jews from the government; and in his 60’s, he claimed innocence in an effort to use taxpayer funds for political favors and personal gain.
Based on his work with the Nixon administration, it is fair to say that Malek is well-versed in deception. As for Malek’s involvement with defrauding taxpayers and murdering animals, we will only say that these incidents suggest that, at best, Malek lacks moral courage.
Can Americans trust this man to tell them how to vote? Malek is leading a group spending $25 million to influence the 2010 midterm elections, drawing upon both secretly-donated corporate dollars and his experiences with the underhanded to push pro-corporate political candidates. This man of demonstrably weak moral fiber is dictating to voters who should lead their country. This man’s group, the American Action Network, has the gall to attack one of the few Senators who has displayed the moral turpitude to vote his conscience, stand up to corporate interests and lobbyists, fight pork and wasteful spending, and oppose infringements on our civil liberties. Regardless of how Americans vote this November, we hope they’ll demonstrate more courage than Malek, and make an honest effort to vote based on genuine issues, rather than the misleading claims made in corporate-sponsored attack ads from the American Action Network.
http://www.prwatch.org/node/9565
bs? watchdog.org
By Paige Winfield Cunningham
A nation-wide flurry of political advocacy by groups who don’t have to reveal their donors is impacting Virginia races for better or for worse.
Looser Federal Election Commission enforcement and a loophole in the tax law are allowing organizations with a 501(c)4 tax status to directly support or oppose candidates—even though these groups don’t have to reveal who funds them.
In response, groups formed this year like Crossroads GPS and the American Action Network can collect donations, keep their sources under wraps and use them to influence key races around the country. Many come backed by conservatives — Karl Rove helped to form Crossroads and Fred Malek is chairman of AAN — putting spending by conservative groups versus liberal groups at a 2-1 ratio, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets.org.
Contenders in Virginia’s most competitive congressional races are being hurt and helped by efforts of these 501(c)4 groups.
Americans for Prosperity, an advocate of limited government, is spending $110,000 on a TV ad and radio buy this week against Democrat Rep. Rick Boucher, who is running in southwest Virginia against State House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith.
Boucher’s also opposed by Americans for Job Security, a group founded more than a decade ago and the fifth highest spender this year among groups that don’t have to reveal donors. AJS spent $350,000 last month on TV ads intended to persuade voters that Boucher is bad for business and jobs.
Americans for Tax Reform, another limited government group, has spent $32,000 to oppose Boucher and $31,000 to oppose Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly in his race against Republican Keith Fimian.
And in the heated 5th district race, Malek’s AAN has spent $49,000 to oppose Rep. Tom Perriello as the Democrat tries to defend his seat from state Sen. Robert Hurt.
While it’s been mainly Democrats criticizing the spending as a way for corporations to hide their donations, Gov. Bob McDonnell said Wednesday that he prefers Virginia’s method of donor disclosure.
“I think we do it the right way where we don’t have limits on giving, but we have full disclosure on a regular basis, so that people can decide whether money played a role in a particular legislators’ decision,” McDonnell said on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” program.