Network of right-wing PACs preys on small donors, nets millions in fees

[SecularMotion]

Source: Salon

Thousands of grassroots conservative donors around the country who believe they are contributing to the fight to reclaim Congress in the fall have actually poured millions of dollars into a group of political action committees whose primary function appears to be enriching a notorious Washington direct mail fundraising firm, Salon's review of the groups' FEC filings shows.

The PACs -- Freedom's Defense Fund, the Black Republican PAC, Veterans for Victory, and the Republican Member Senate Fund -- are all based out of post office boxes in Washington and all have a treasurer in common: Scott Mackenzie, a campaign finance consultant at Base Connect, the direct mail firm. Formerly known as BMW Direct, Base Connect has long been controversial for its practice of raising large sums of money for long-shot conservative candidates, who in turn pay Base Connect as much as 80 or 90 percent of the money raised for its services.

The PACs appear to be a clever twist on that model: Instead of having to find and pitch a congressional campaign on its services, Base Connect can, through the PACs, send out fundraising solicitations each election cycle on the basis of evergreen issues like promoting black Republicans. Of the money raised by the four PACs, 60 to 70 percent typically goes to Base Connect and its affiliates. Meanwhile, the PACs have spent from as little as 2 percent to as much as 6 percent of the money raised on funding actual campaigns -- a strikingly small share. The rest of the PAC's funds go to operating expenses like bank and legal fees, and occasionally to consulting fees to people such as conservative activist Jerome Corsi.

The four PACs this cycle have generated $2.3 million in fees for Base Connect and its "partner" firms Century Data Systems and Legacy List Marketing. All three firms are based at Suite 410, 1155 15th Street NW, in Washington.

Read more: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/08/04/freedoms_defense_fund_base_connect/index.html

[Roland99]

1. Excuse me while I....

:rofl:

[Roland99]

2. Oh...and isn't Corsi one of the Swift Boat Liars?

[njlib]

3. HA!

This is the industry I worked in (accounting department) before I went to nursing school. If people knew how much money was spent on RAISING money, they wouldn't contribute to ANY direct mail campaign! It's a well-known fact within the industry that many of the D.C. based firms are crooked and the absolute worst payers in the industry. My ex-employer had a few nationally known clients that spent MILLIONS on broker/management fees alone. Add to that postage and data processing expenses and the numbers are staggering.

[tanyev]

6. That's why I finally gave up on Greenpeace.

Back when I did donate to them, that $35 a year was a precious amount for me to part with. Imagine my surprise when it unleashed a torrent of letters and phone calls to me that easily ate up the yearly pittance I sent them.

[saigon68]

8. Greenpeace is an organization

That has long abandoned any hope of legitimacy

[Turbineguy]

4. Well, why not?

They believe what Limbaugh and Beck tell them. They are ready for fleecing. It's a shame really.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Throwing bad money after bad...

:rofl:

For the love of money, they will prey on their own suckers.

[jberryhill]

7. Good on them

After watching Rachael Maddow explain how these outfits operate, it strikes me as something that could be a fun way to pick up a couple of extra bucks.

Pick some nutty issue... "Gay Space Aliens Want To Open Abortion Clinic"... get your mitts on a couple of member directories from your local selection of First Church Of Republican Jesus... and you're good to go.

Heck... use THIS issue. For the low member fee of $35 a year, we'll send you "audits" and information about all those direct mail outfits that are ripping you off!