The most recent NARAL ads against Rep. Cory Gardner have been probably the most ridiculous of the campaign season thus far. Wouldn’t it be great if they didn’t have the platform to put these ads up? An astute reader pointed us in the direction of a fundraising outfit that’s been helping NARAL gather the funds for these asinine ads. As it turns out, the dial-for-dollars organization Strategic Fundraising Inc. (SFI), once a Republican fundraising operation, was bought and is now fundraising for both sides, a fact that no-doubt delights its new owner. See, when Strategic Fundraising raises money for NARAL and NARAL can put those ads up, it necessitates the opposition to raise more money as well in an endless dollar dash.
This is why people hate political consultants. These guys epitomize the worst of the worst consultants as they are simply greedy money grabbers pitting clients against one another to line their own pockets.
Here’s how this unfolded. The fact that just this year SFI raised money for at least 10 Republican state parties, including California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas, is available on FEC.gov. SFI has been raising money for Republican outfits for quite some time. In addition, the FEC also shows that it raises money for the Personhood PAC (just delicious right?), Tea Party Patriots, NRCC, NRSC, RNC Allen West’s PAC, the Colorado-based Stop Hillary PAC, National Right to Life, and more. But, here’s where NARAL and the Environmental Defense Fund come in.
Earlier this summer, Strategic Fundraising Inc. was fined over one million dollars for various fundraising and calling violations. As part of the fine, it listed some of the clients that SFI was calling on behalf of. One of those clients? NARAL. Another client? EDF. See the picture to the right and download the document.
According to this article, EDF has spent almost $300,000 attacking Cory Gardner and the NRSC has spent millions in support of Gardner’s campaign. And, here, NARAL has spent at least $450,000 in Colorado against Gardner. We have to wonder how Mitch McConnell and the leadership at NRSC feel about their vendor working for another organization that is specifically trying to undermine their efforts. And, it goes both ways. This seems like a huge conflict. And, thus, it would seem that NARAL and EDF should be upset as well. As for SFI, after shelling out one million dollars for violations, rumor has it that they’re laughing all the way to the bank.