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Monday, August 3, 2009
News Sign to investigate lobbying firm fraud
Posted By Web Editor on Mon, Aug 3, 2009 at 4:20 PM
From MoveOn:
Last week a special interest lobbying firm with ties to dirty energy companies was caught sending forged letters to a Democratic congressman's office - urging him to oppose clean energy legislation.
The letters claimed to be from a Hispanic non-profit called Creciendo Juntos and the local chapter of the NAACP. The only problem? Neither group had ever seen the letters, much less sent them.
Faking letters from ethnic groups to oppose progressive legislation? It's like Karl Rove is back running the show.
This incident could be just the tip of the iceberg - one small part of a coordinated campaign to undermine the president's agenda. The House of Representatives has started to investigate how far this scam goes - but with allegations this serious, this is a federal criminal matter.
Can you sign our petition asking the Department of Justice to investigate whether the lobbying firm committed fraud? Clicking here will add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/roveisback/o.pl?id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=9
The petition reads:
A lobbying firm hired to fight against clean energy was caught sending forged letters from the NAACP and a Hispanic nonprofit to a Democratic congressman. Please conduct a thorough investigation into whether the firm, Bonner & Associates, committed fraud, and how often they've done this.
The thing is, this isn't the first time this has happened.
The very same firm, Bonner & Associates, was caught in 2002 using an African American charity's name to oppose legislation lowering drug prices - that time on behalf of their clients in the pharmaceutical industry.
This time they are targeting freshman Democrat Tom Perriello, who has been a champion of clean energy jobs.
If we are going to get the change this country needs, we have to stop this kind of deceit on the part of special interests. Please sign the petition by clicking here:
http://pol.moveon.org/roveisback/o.pl?id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=10
Sources:
1. "The Case of the Forged Letters - a cap-and-trade mystery," Reuters, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51703&id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=11
2. "Fake Out: Forged Letters Urged Congressman To Vote Against Climate Bill," The Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51693&id=&t=6&id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=12
3. "Forged Letters to Congressman Anger Local Groups," Charlottesville Daily Progress, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51695&id=&t=7&id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=13
4. "Congress To Probe Forged Climate Change Letters," Talking Points Memo, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51697&id=&t=8&id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=14
5. "Community Leaders Decry Lobby Firm's Fax," The Baltimore Sun, March 9, 2002. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51696&id=&t=9&id=16707-3563042-VzVEbbx&t=15
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