Cyber Sleuths and Blogger Bloodhounds needed! Yesterday, an acquaintance at ACORN informed me that they're "on the receiving end of some nasty frivolous litigation attack by the right-wing" outfit called Free Enterprise Coalition.
I posted a diary looking for help in researching the Free Enterprise Coalition, and a number of our fellow Kosians dug up some great intel. Thank you for your help!
Today I have some more information. According to my contact, "The plaintiffs in the suit are Mark Rubick and Jamey Koralewski. Their attorneys are Jeffrey S. Creamer and Douglas G Haynam of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick in Toledo OH."
Also, the rhetoric of this complaint is very similar to a complaint filed by one Mark F. (Thor) Hearne of the American Center for Voting Rights.
The complaints make some bizarre claims, including allegations of bribing potential voters with crack cocaine. It keeps getting more interesting.
More detailed information lies below the fold. Please take a peak. The folks at ACORN need to get as much information as possible to help counter attack this mysterious Free Enterprise Coalition:
I'm posting another diary/query today because I have more information on the plaintiffs and their attorneys.
Last night, my acquaintance at ACORN wrote:
The plaintiffs in the suit are
Mark Rubick and
Jamey Koralewski. Their attorneys are
Jeffrey S. Creamer and
Douglas G Haynam of the
Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick in Toledo OH
We've also recently learned that someone by the name of "Thor" Hearne testified before the Ney Committee hearing in Columbus on Monday April 11, repeating some of the bizarre allegations that are found in the complaint (that the NAACP gave people cocaine in exchange for registering votes, and listing the same list of fraudulent evildoers as in the complaint--America Votes, NAACP, and ACT. He represented himself as being counsel to the American Center for Voting Rights, a "nonpartisan" consortium of law firms, and I just found this online, his letter asking the feds to investigate us.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=44821
The only connection we have between Hearne and the American Center for Voting Rights and the complaints are that it's the same litany of complaints. We need to see the connections better to be able to counterattack.
Thanks for helping to connect the dots."
Yesterday, we collected the following information about an organization or organizations called the Free Enterprise Coalition:
I wrote:
Steven D. found:
...a Tennesee nonprofit org with an anti-tax agenda. Here's a
link to a 1999 story that mentions them. Not sure if that is the same group messing with your friend or not.
Catte Nappe noted:
I thought it was interesting that in articles about the New Mexicans For Free Enterprise the "backers" were anonymous. Looks like the same thing with this Tennessee group.
htp://www.tnchamber.org/taxation/articles/4-07-99e.html
"Sipes said other founders are Jimmy Harris, partner in the development firm of longtime GOP stalwart Jimmy Wallace, and Mike Crews of Milan. The Free Enterprise Coalition is a nonprofit organization that can accept unlimited contributions and does not have to disclose its donors. The coalition's letter promises to use any contributions to fund ``an aggressive campaign. Media. Mail. Patch-through phone calls. Grassroots tactics and organization.''
Catte Nappe also found:
Another connection?
The Conquest Group
Check out their client list [Free Enterprise Coalition]
Check out their bios
Staceyaj found:
There is a Dale Oldham listed at a
Brookings Institution conference on "Competition, Partisanship, and Congressional Redistricting" (11:15 am - Panel 3: The Law of Redistricting). He is identified as being from the Free Enterprise Coalition. Another
link that I found lists a Dale Oldham as a Redistricting Counsel for Republican National Committee.
Staceyaj also dug up this gem:
There is a tax exempt nonprofit organization called the
Free Enterprise Coalition . It has a Falls Church, VA address (7704 Leesburg Pike Suite 400, Falls Church, VA 22043-2612).
It is interesting to note that both the Free Enterprise Coalition and the Conquest Group are based out of VA (or just over the border in Tennessee).
Also, the rhetoric of this complaint is very similar to the complaint filed by one Mark F. (Thor) Hearne of the American Center for Voting Rights, as mentioned above.
Can we connect any of these groups/people to the plaintiffs, Mark Rubick and Jamey Koralewski, and their attorneys, Jeffrey S. Creamer and Douglas G Haynam of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick in Toledo OH?
Also, what do the American Center for Voting Rights and Mark F. (Thor) Hearne have to do with the Free Enterprise Coalition and the plaintiffs and their attorneys, other than that they share the same bizarre claims in their attacks against ACORN and other voter rights groups?
Can we find out anything else about this Free Enterprise Coalition?
I'll keep digging throughout the day. Thank you in advance for your help!