Abbott operative defends scam

Yesterday, the Lone Star Project exposed an apparent telemarketing scam by a group called the Foundation for Justice for All. The group is placing a series of robo-calls urging Davis supporters to contribute to them and implying that the contribution will somehow help Wendy Davis. The calls were placed without the knowledge or authorization of anyone within the Davis campaign.

Rather than condemn the sleazy activity, top Greg Abbott political operative Dave Carney jumped to their defense. Carney tweeted that the group is legitimate and criticized Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle for exposing the effort as unauthorized and improper.

Dave Carney, of course, is no stranger to elaborate scam efforts to use progressive groups to bilk the public and help his own partisan causes. Just a few years ago, he and long-time Austin-based Republican lobbyist Mike Toomey arranged for a $500,000 payment from an undisclosed source to fund a program to qualify Green Party candidates for the Texas ballot hoping that Green Party candidates would siphon votes away from Democratic candidates.

The Foundation for Justice for All has a sleazy past and GOP ties

The unauthorized calls made by The Foundation for Justice for All track back to the phone number (202) 719-2244. This phone number has been reported previously by individuals complaining about unscrupulous calls claiming to fundraise for the disaster relief in Moore, Oklahoma, the Trayvon Martin case in Florida and even the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre.

Moreover, the Foundation for Justice for All was organized by an attorney named John Zakhem, who is the former legal counsel for the Colorado Republican Party and has been associated with right wing groups and other controversial improper actions involving Newt Gingrich (a former Carney client) and other GOP candidates.

Recently, the Foundation for Justice for All registered as a federal political action committee with the Federal Elections Commission. The filing lists two organizers (link to ffjfa fec form 1.pdf), Marquita de Jesus and Marcia Fern, both of whom have addresses in North Texas. Voting records show that Marcia Fern has a short voter history in Texas, having only cast a ballot in the 2012 General Election.