20 Conservative Media Figures Who Helped Shady "Pro-Troop" Charity Raise Money
by BEN DIMIERO
MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA
Numerous conservative radio, cable news, and Internet media stars provided testimonials and other support to Move America Forward, a purported "pro-troop" charity that funneled money to the GOP consultants who run it.
In an exposé for ProPublica and The Daily Beast, reporter Kim Barker lays out how Move America Forward (MAF), a charity that collects millions of dollars purportedly to send care packages to troops overseas, "has repeatedly misled donors and inflated its charitable accomplishments, while funneling millions of dollars in revenue to the men behind the group and their political consulting firms."
Various MAF transgressions highlighted by Barker include: claiming to send hundreds of care packages to a battalion fighting in Afghanistan while the battalion in question was actually deployed in Japan; misleading donors about a non-existent partnership between MAF and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; appropriating "images and stories from other groups and from veterans themselves without permission to use in fundraising appeals"; and using group assets to apparently "subsidize three conservative political action committees."
As Barker explains, MAF has gotten a major fundraising boost from leading conservatives like George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and numerous conservative media figures like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Sarah Palin.
The group's ties to conservative media run deep. Move America Forward was co-founded by Melanie Morgan, a right-wing radio host [now hosting the Morning News at 1350 KSRO in Santa Rosa, CA]. And based on a review of MAF's website, YouTube page, and fundraising materials, the amount of support from conservative media figures for the group is staggering, particularly through its annual "Troopathon" fundraisers.
While the media figures who supported MAF undoubtedly thought they were aiding a legitimate group that was helping troops overseas, there were several warning signs surrounding Move America Forward.
Barker points out that MAF has "earned zero stars out of a potential four from the rating organization Charity Navigator" and notes that Republican consultant Sal Russo, the "driving force" behind the group, has previously come under criticism for shady use of political funds. Russo's Tea Party Express, which has also gotten a helping hand from numerous media outlets, has repeatedly been criticized for directing money to Russo-connected consulting firms. Questions about Russo's spending practices date back to at least 2009.
MORE:
LINK: Local Radio Hosts and 20 Conservative Media Figures Who Helped Shady "Pro-Troop" Charity Raise Money
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
LINK: New Local Radio Host's ‘Pro-Troop’ Charity Pays Off Tea Party Cronies Instead
"Move America Forward has collected millions to send care packages to U.S. troops. But its assets have been used to benefit conservative political consulting firms close to its Tea Party founder."
Edit:
Here's Move America Forward's response.