Two articles at the Washington Free Beacon expose the Democrat's secretive dark money machine Democracy Alliance. This is how liberals can funnel large amounts of money to progressive groups in a coordinated fashion without being exposed or demonized like the Koch Brothers. Hypocrisy knows no bounds on the left. Markay Discusses Story on Democracy Alliance’s Confidential Document
May 6, 2014Washington Free Beacon reporter Lachlan Markay was a guest on The DerekHunter Show Tuesday night to discuss his scoop on the left-wing DemocracyAlliance and its secret list of wealthy liberal partners in its money-funneling efforts.
The shadowy group’s conference in Chicago last week got almost no attention from members of the media besides the Free Beacon, with Markay pointing out that only Politico reporter Kenneth Vogel was also in attendance.
“There are details out there, but they do everything in their power to make sure that everything that goes on there is as secretive as possible,” Markay said.
Markay found a document on the floor going over some of the new DemocracyAlliance members, prompting his story. He reported:
Read the Confidential Document Left Behind at the Democracy Alliance Meeting
A list of new members of the Democracy Alliance offers a revealing look into the secret group of liberal billionaires
The Democracy Alliance takes pains to ensure that its work disbursing millions of dollars to top left-wing organizations remains secretive and free from public scrutiny. But a document left on the floor of the group’s recent gathering reveals for the first time the names of a number of individuals involved in the effort.
It lists new Democracy Alliance “partners,” individuals who every year must pay$30,000 in dues and contribute at least $200,000 to the groups that DA supports. It also reveals names of DA “advisers,” foundation participants, and individuals getting a “sneak peek” at the group’s activities.
Among its new partners are top labor union bosses, financial and business leaders, and heirs to billion-dollar fortunes who have made names for themselves as high-dollar Democratic donors.
Security was tight at the Democracy Alliance conference last week at the chic Ritz Carlton in Chicago. Politico reporter Ken Vogel was manhandled by security when he tried to interview an attendee. Other conference-goers ripped off their nametags when a Washington Free Beacon reporter approached.
The Democracy Alliance does not actually accept donations. Instead, it solicits contributions from left-wing millionaires and billionaires, and serves as a “pass through” between those donors and top liberal advocacy groups, including the Center for American Progress, Media Matters for America, and Democratic Super PAC Priorities USA.
The group emphasizes secrecy in all of its operations, even as its members and the DA “favored organizations” to which they donate decry the role of “dark money” in American politics. DA does not disclose details of any of the transactions it facilitates, and its members and donation recipients are prohibited from speaking publicly about the organization and its operations.
While few conference attendees would speak with the Free Beacon last week, one mistakenly left a revealing document on the floor of a publicly accessible area of the conference. The list of new partners provides previously unreported details on one of the left’s most powerful dark money groups.
Big Labor Bucks
Labor unions have for decades served as financiers for some of the left’s most prominent think tanks and activist groups. The list of new DA partner reveals increasing involvement by top labor bosses in the group’s work financing those organizations.
New members in 2014 include Noel Beasley, president of Workers United, a textile union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, and Keith Mestrich, president of the union-owned Amalgamated Bank, where Beasley, also a SEIU vice president, serves as chairman.
Amalgamated, which is majority-owned by the SEIU, is still owed $8.5 million by the Democratic National Committee for a pair of loans taken out in 2012 to support the DNC’s work to reelect President Barack Obama.
“We are a partisan bank that’s owned by a union,” Mestrich told theWashington Post last year. “There’s no question that unions are very tight with the Democratic Party, and we make no bones about that.” He would not answer questions about the bank’s involvement with the Democracy Alliance at last week’s conference.
The addition of top officials at Workers United and Amalgamated comes after DA added other top labor bosses in 2013, according to the list of new members.
Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, both signed on as partners last year. The document also lists CWA senior director George Kohl and Michelle Ringuette, Weingarten’s assistant, as new partners in 2013.
Weingarten and Cohen both sit on the board of the Economic Policies Institute, a labor-funded think tank. Richard Trumka, who attended last week’s conference, is also a board member, as are SEIU president and DA board member Mary Kay Henry, and one-time DA board member Robert Johnson.
While union higher ups are well compensated—Weingarten and Cohen made$550,000 and $200,000 in 2012, respectively, while Ringuette and Kohl each pulled down more than $150,000—the $100,000 minimum aggregate contribution requirement likely means that AFT and CWA, rather than the individuals listed, are the entities providing DA pass-through funds, with top union officials serving as liaisons.
The Washington Free Beacon Article continues with a profile of a few BIG donors.:
Washington Free Beacon - A Breakdown of Big Donor Contributions
A list of some new members for Democracy Alliance.
Democracy Alliance new members list by Washington Free Beacon
NEW PARTNERS, 2013
Paul Boskind: CEO of Deer Oaks Mental Health Associates and theater producer.
Larry Cohen: President of the Communications Workers of America.
Randi Weingarten: President of the American Federation of Teachers.
George Kohl: Senior director of the Communications Workers of America.
Michelle Ringuette: Assistant to the president of the American Federation of Teachers.
Amy Goldman: Author, horticulturalist, and daughter of the late New York City real estate magnate Sol Goldman.
NEW PARTNERS, 2014
Adam Abram: Founder of James River Group, chairman of Franklin Holdings, chairman of Piedmont Community Bank Holdings, former president of Adaron Group.
Noel Beasley: President of Workers United, vice president of the Service Employees International Union, chairman of Amalgamated Bank.
Keith Mestrich: President of Amalgamated Bank
Philip Munger: New School professor, son of Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charles Munger.
Colin Greer: President of the New World Foundation.
Heeten Kalan: Senior program officer at the New World Foundation.
Rick Segal: CEO of Seavest, Inc.
Ryan Smith: Unknown. It was originally reported that Smith was the CEO of Qualtrics, but that was not the case.
Henry van Ameringen: President of the Van Ameringen Foundation, son of Arnold Louis van Ameringen, founder of International Flavors and Fragrances.
Dirk Wiggins: Founder of Code for Progress, former director of targeting for Field Strategies, former outreach director for the Florida Democratic Party.
