NAACP-Forgery Group, Bonner & Associates, Has A Decades-Long History Of Astroturf Tactics
NAACP-Forgery Group, Bonner & Associates, Has A Decades-Long History Of Astroturf Tactics
A DC-based consulting firm has been exposed for forging letters in opposition to the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The letters, replete with letterhead and made-up identities, purported to be from Virginian minority organizations including the NAACP. Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) received multiple letters pressuring him to vote against clean energy reform. According to Daily Progress, Perriello staffers discovered that the letters were actually forged by Bonner & Associates. Going through past correspondence regarding ACES, staffers found at least six forged letters purporting to be from Creciendo Juntos, a nonprofit hispanic group, and the NAACP.
ThinkProgress has acquired the forged letters. See them here:
Bonner & Associates has a long history of shady tactics and big business corporate associations:
Show Me the Money: Founder Jack Bonner bragged in 1994 that the group has no “ideological or political bent,” the Washington Post noting that “if you’ve got the money and need some ‘regular people’ to flog your issue, Bonner will find them for you.” [8/23/94]
Defrauding the U.S. Government: In 1986, the firm was caught defrauding the U.S. government in order to retain a contract. Bonner & Associates was fraudulently submitting names from phone books, yearbooks, agency employee books, and other sources. The firm claimed to fire the offending employee: “We fired the people we determined were involved in it…what they did was in direct violation of the written policy of the firm.” [New York Times, 12/18/86]
Fighting the Smoking Ban on Behalf of Philip Morris: Bonner & Associates was hired by Philip Morris during the early 90s to build opposition to the workplace smoking ban. A 1994 National Journal piece reports that the firm “was paid about $1.5 million to solicit 7,000 letters to OSHA from small businesses, criticizing the indoor air proposal.” [National Journal, 12/3/94]
Killing Health Care Reforms on Behalf of PhRMA: After the group was hired by PhRMA to kill Maryland legislation that would have affected prescription drug legislation, they faxed dozens of community leaders with a petition that was meant to appear grassroots, “including grammatical errors and a handwritten cover letter.” A community leader that received one of the faxes said, “I wish they would take off the masks. If the drug industry wants to organize people at the grass roots, they should be honest.” [Baltimore Sun, 3/9/02]
In a statement following their most recent offense against Rep. Perriello, the company responded, “We immediately fired the person on our staff responsible for the error.” The Bonner firm’s weak dismissal of their breach as “an error” is a laughable attempt to ignore the nefarious nature of the company’s entire strategic philosophy: Astroturfing (that is, misrepresenting corporate-backed policy as a real grassroots movement).
This incident demonstrates the incredible lengths that the vested interests of health care and energy are willing to go through to undermine reform. With Congress going on recess soon, more of these astroturf tactics will undoubtedly occur as corporate backed anti-reform groups gather in Congressional districts throughout the country to obstruct health care and clean energy reform.
We take our business very seriously. A temporary employee--lied to us--and contrary to our policies sent these letters. We--no one else--we on our own found this out. We immediately fired the person. We then, called those effected, explained what happened and apologized. In the case of the group in the story--we did it in person and by letter.
This should not have happened--we had a bad employee--but through our internal checks, we found the problem, and on our own initiative took the step to notify the affected group.
“The NAACP is appalled that an organization like Bonner and Associates would stoop to these depths to deceive Congress. In this case Bonner and Associates are exploiting the African-American Community to achieve their misdirected goal. These tactics illustrate that discriminatory tactics normally used to deceive voters are now being used to deceive the Congress,” stated Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP’s Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Advocacy.
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This is amazing, they sure seem to keep hiring the wrong kind of “temporary” employee.
These guys should be in jail.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:30 pmA temporary employee–lied to us–and contrary to our policies sent these letters.
Riiiiight. And the people involved with detainee abuse came up with the humiliation and torture all on their own. Just a few bad apples who made the people in charge look bad.
PEACE
July 31st, 2009 at 4:30 pmAnd that employees name would be?
July 31st, 2009 at 4:31 pmMore repiggie lying…
These people will do anything for money and power, literally anything.
By the way, Lou Dobbs is a moron.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:32 pmI don’t suppose that ‘temporary employee’ was Kyle Sampson, Monica Goodling, Sara Taylor or even Alberto Gonzales, himself.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:32 pmIn a statement following their most recent offense against Rep. Periello, the company responded, “We immediately fired the person on our staff responsible for the error.”
The “error” being that the person got caught.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:36 pmA temporary employee–lied to us–and contrary to our policies sent these letters.
Don’t they usually blame it on a disgruntled former employee instead?
They’re all a bunch of g*dd*mn*d f**king liars. It’s really that simple. Because when they’re not lying to US…they’re lying to THEMSELVES.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:37 pmWe take our business very seriously. A temporary employee–lied to us–and contrary to our policies sent these letters. We–no one else–we on our own found this out.
I call BULLSHIT!
July 31st, 2009 at 4:37 pmA temporary employee–lied to us–and contrary to our policies sent these letters.
I dare anyone to diagram that sentence, and come up with the same meaning Bonner & Associates is TRYING to give it…either that, or they’re functionally illiterate when it comes to the English language.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:40 pmWe could call KKKarl Rove and find out who did it!
Sounds like someone he’s mentoring.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:42 pmThe Borgen Project has some good information on the cost of addressing global poverty (www.borgenproject.org).
July 31st, 2009 at 4:44 pmIt only takes $30 billion annually to end world hunger!
Yet… we are spending $550 billion annually on the defense budget.
“We then, called those effected, explained what happened and apologized.”
– - The letter actually says ‘Effected’?
July 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pmPfffft.
Zooey says:
We take our business very seriously. A temporary employee–lied to us–and contrary to our policies sent these letters. We–no one else–we on our own found this out.
I call BULLSHIT!
No Zooey… they have documentation and correspondence on official letterhead showing that it happened EXACTLY THIS WAY!!!
/sarc
July 31st, 2009 at 4:48 pmEach of those four letters from ‘four different people’ at the NAACP all have the same handwriting in their signature.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:48 pmNot being a legal scholar I have to wonder if this isn’t illegal The fact that employees were temporary doesn’t seem to be a defense to a layman
July 31st, 2009 at 4:48 pmAnd if they don’t yet have that documentation proving their internal checks caught this ‘rogue employee’ single-handedly, they will as soon as the Photoshop guy at Kinko’s gets back from lunch…
/sarc again.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:50 pmBadmoodman says:
“We then, called those effected, explained what happened and apologized.”
- – The letter actually says ‘Effected’?
Pfffft.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Liberty U or a Child Left Behind?
We report, you decide.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:59 pmThere may be some violations of criminal law, particularly if it is a federal law because of their use of the US Mail. I would hope an ambitious State’s Attorney or US Attorney is investigating this company.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:59 pmThis sounds WAY too Python-esque…
“The people who wrote the letters that we approved until we got caught and that we now no longer approve, have been sacked…”
July 31st, 2009 at 5:00 pmbelaccifer lacca says:
No Zooey… they have documentation and correspondence on official letterhead showing that it happened EXACTLY THIS WAY!!!
/sarc
July 31st, 2009 at 4:48 pm
It’s on letterhead!? Then there’s no question! :-D
July 31st, 2009 at 5:02 pmThis does bring up an interesting lobbying strategy in Washington, and I doubt this is a unique case. I wonder just how common a practice it is, whether it be done by the right or left. Any past cases where firms like B&A have done something similar?
July 31st, 2009 at 5:06 pm“Yeah, see guys, we’ve got everything under control. Nothing to see here. We’ll let you know when something else comes up”. This country is getting to a point where we won’t have enough people to control these crooked businesses.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:08 pmZooey says:
- – The letter actually says ‘Effected’?
Pfffft.
– Liberty U or a Child Left Behind?
- – Liberty U. and No Child Left Behind have a detrimental affect on education.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:09 pmIsn’t MAIL FRAUD and FORGERY considered a FEDERAL CRIME??
And it seems we have a PATTERN of FRAUD . . .
RICCO anyone? . . . would be nice for the people to “own” a nice PR firm . . . with all that new furniture, computers and new cars up for auction . . .
July 31st, 2009 at 5:14 pmI hope the NAACP sues Bonner and Asses. That would be a sweet settlement. Hope they have professional liability insurance, and not through AIG!
It’s been proven in court that employers can be held responsible for destructive or criminal activities of their employees. I don’t think Bonner will be able to use the “few bad apples” defense.
BTW, did anyone else initially think it was Boehner upon first glance?
PEACE
July 31st, 2009 at 5:15 pmI can’t believe that Bonner & Associates hasn’t been shut down already for fraud. This is just one incident too many. What is it going to take?
July 31st, 2009 at 5:18 pmSo a temporary employee has either:
a) stuck around from the mid-90s till today
July 31st, 2009 at 5:18 pm-or-
b) worked in the mid 90s, fired, and rehired this year ?
When it all comes down to it…
We are all temporary employees.
Guess what. The company is still responsible for what their employees do with company resources. Temporary or not.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:18 pmLobbyists have been co-opting grass roots movements using deceptive practices since the prohibition movement.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:21 pmSpencer’s mom says:
I hope the NAACP sues Bonner and Asses. That would be a sweet settlement. Hope they have professional liability insurance, and not through AIG!
They can sue and it would be for infringement on their name. It may be under the copyright act which does allow for huge penalties for each instance of violation. This is just like the file sharing cases.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:21 pmBadmoodman says:
- – Liberty U. and No Child Left Behind have a detrimental affect on education.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I was asking if the person who used the word “effected” was a Liberty U grad or a Chil Left Behind. :)
July 31st, 2009 at 5:22 pmOr even a Child Left Behind.
Heh.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:24 pmI believe this violates Virginia Code § 18.2-177 – Illegal use of insignia:
http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1802000/18.2-177.html
July 31st, 2009 at 5:29 pmAnd probably Virginia Code § 18.2-172 – Forging, uttering, etc., other writings:
http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1802000/18.2-172.html
July 31st, 2009 at 5:35 pmSomeone from Bonner & Ass might be looking at 1-10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:37 pmFirm grasp of the obvious, there. The question is, what can they do?
Aside from the forgery laws above, have there been any other groups like this that have been shut down? Do they register as anything in particular? How have other groups been shut down or convicted of false-flagging like this?
July 31st, 2009 at 6:45 pmI recommend the CEO of the company spend the ten years in Jail, along with the entire executive board of the company.
There is no excuse for corporate fraud and forgery. I wish I had the power to put this company in a hole so deep, no one would attempt political forgery and fraud for a generation.
Looks like the C-street crime family is using corporations to defraud Americans. We must remove every Republican and blue dog democrat from political power, forever.
July 31st, 2009 at 7:19 pmMakes a person wonder how many phone calls, letters and emails Congress is getting from people who never sent or made them. There are lots of lists out there and I bet no one is checking the sources of many of these ‘responses’.
July 31st, 2009 at 7:31 pmThe lengths they go to in order to misinform people is an indication of how much money is at stake for them.
July 31st, 2009 at 8:15 pmGoing through past correspondence regarding ACES, staffers found at least six forged letters purporting to be from Cruciendo Juntos, a nonprofit hispanic group, and the NAACP.
“Cruciendo” must be Creciendo. Thanks, TP.
July 31st, 2009 at 8:52 pmACORN, anyone?
July 31st, 2009 at 9:13 pmI dare anyone to diagram that sentence, and come up with the same meaning Bonner & Associates is TRYING to give it…either that, or they’re functionally illiterate when it comes to the English language.
August 1st, 2009 at 1:59 amI would think if the congressman’s staff had the time to read and ponder the letters, an obvious error would appear. Neither Cruciendo Juntos nor NAACP would refer to their members as “minorities.”
August 1st, 2009 at 2:21 amIf this is not illegal it should be. This could be wrapped up with election fraud bill. Things that happen in elections that have the intent to mislead voters should be illegal. Things like phone line jamming, sending out notices to voters that their polling place address is different than the real address, or threatening voters with arrest if they show up to vote for any reason should be criminalized. Also putting out fake news releases from people or organizations without their approval as in this case. Another thing that needs to be criminalized is deliberately misallocating poll place resources, such as workers and machines, so that one districts voters do not have a fair chance of getting their votes counted.
August 1st, 2009 at 10:07 amA temporary employee–lied to us–yeah, yeah–that’s it… We immediately fired the person–yeah, that’s the ticket!
Sort of makes me miss Jon Lovitz…
August 1st, 2009 at 12:36 pmBonner is a white-supremacist repiggie. This situation drips of irony and chutzpah. It really takes balls for a privileged white repiggie to claim to “speak” for groups that he and his party are trying to purge from any positions of authority and responsibility.
He is a repiggie; therefore, he is a liar.
By the way, Lou Dobbs is a moron.
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One also has to wonder how many of the familiar trolls that harass commenters on blogs and frequent on-line news sites are also on lobbyists’ payrolls to try to manipulate public perceptions and opinions for or against hot button legislation.
August 2nd, 2009 at 3:09 amThe comparison between Bonner and ACORN is not valid. ACORN was legally obligated to submit all of the voter registration cards turned in even if they thought they were forged. Which they did, along with the explanation that they believed they were fraudulent. ACORN’s internal checks worked.
Bonner’s internal checks occurred after the fraud had been committed. Not to belabor the obvious, Bonner should have checked the acceptance of these outside groups before the letters were sent and the forgery committed. Even if Bonner is telling the truth about the temporary employee and the internal checks, those checks are inadequate and should not shield them from the law.
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:08 pmI’m sorry. But I don’t buy Bonner’s explanation of what happened. A temp worker was able to access information which led to the sending of how many letters? Thousands, was it?
Yeah, right.
Their site, by the way, is down, and the email I tried to send them bounced.
Interesting to see what happens.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:04 pmI just looked at the letters.
These people are malicious. Using poverty and hardship to influence Congress to support their bill.
That, in itself, is criminal, if not legally, then morally.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 pm