October 07, 2008 07:05 PM UTC

Devastating New Schaffer/Marianas Ad, Massive Buy

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• by: Colorado Pols

It’s the one you’ve been waiting for:

UPDATE: Press release from Campaign Money Watch refutes recent claim by Bob Schaffer that his “investigation” resulted in the closure of any Saipan garment factories:

Schaffer recently told The Denver Post’s editorial board that he helped shut down a sweatshop in the Marianas, citing a visit he made during a 1999 “fact-finding trip” to the islands arranged by Abramoff’s firm. However, a Campaign Money Watch investigation found that closures of sweatshops on the islands were the result of a court settlement stemming from a class action lawsuit pursued by a coalition of human rights and labor groups. There are no news accounts that suggest Schaffer – or any other member of Congress – played any role.

Full release follows.

Campaign Money Watch launched the following ad in Colorado to highlight U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer’s (R-CO) ties to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the money he’s taken from Northern Mariana Islands sweatshop owners Abramoff’s firm once represented.

After a couple of flubbed attempts to highlight the Abramoff/Mariana Islands scandal by independent groups in the last few weeks, Campaign Money Watch knocked it out of the park with this very clear and unapologetic spot. And this isn’t some small-budget job meant to stir up earned media controversy with just enough airtime to get it on the radar: it’s allegedly a $1 million dollar buy. Every voter in Colorado will see this.

As we noted yesterday, there’s a conference call coming up in an hour with reported new information that refutes claims Schaffer has made in his defense about his involvement with CNMI labor practice investigations. If the new disclosure is significant, a fresh ball of damaging press will get rolling only a few short weeks before the election.

And as we first speculated in April, Bob Schaffer’s self-incriminating praise for the now-outlawed labor and immigration policies of the Northern Mariana Islands, the defense of which was the centerpiece of jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s crumbled empire, may catalyze the end of his political career.

A PRESS RELEASE FROM CAMPAIGN MONEY WATCH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

CONTACT

David Miller, Communications Manager

(202) 448-6154

Watchdog Group Calls Out Schaffer For Sweatshop Claims, Releases Hard-Hitting Ad On Marianas Junket

           Washington, D.C. – Campaign Money Watch, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog group, sent a letter to U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer today demanding that he supply evidence or admit that he lied about a previous claim that he helped close a sweatshop in the Northern Mariana Islands.

The organization also released a new television ad that highlights Schaffer’s ties to both sweatshop owners and jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

           “Bob Schaffer ought to come clean about his role in keeping the sweatshops in the Northern Marianas open,” commented David Donnelly, the group’s director. “He took a luxury trip to the islands and returned to Congress to do convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s dirty work.”

           Schaffer recently told The Denver Post’s editorial board that he helped shut down a sweatshop in the Marianas, citing a visit he made during a 1999 “fact-finding trip” to the islands arranged by Abramoff’s firm. However, a Campaign Money Watch investigation found that closures of sweatshops on the islands were the result of a court settlement stemming from a class action lawsuit pursued by a coalition of human rights and labor groups. There are no news accounts that suggest Schaffer – or any other member of Congress – played any role.

           The group’s new ad, “Investigator,” shines a spotlight on Schaffer’s trip to the islands, his later defense of the sweatshop practices, and the donations he received from sweatshop operators. It calls on Schaffer to help end the corrupting influence of money in politics and support comprehensive campaign finance reform.

           Both the ad and a background document that debunks Schaffer’s claim can be viewed online at http://www.campaignmoney.org/s…

           “The story of how Congress turned a blind eye to the situation in the Marianas is a chilling example of the consequences of a pay-to-play system in Washington that breeds corruption,” said Donnelly. “If Bob Schaffer wants to make up for his mistakes, he should start by supporting comprehensive reforms that would end big money’s grip on Washington.”

           Campaign Money Watch is a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action Fund. The organization works to hold politicians who are against comprehensive campaign finance reform accountable for where they get their political donations.

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