Posted on 07/02/2007 4:17:47 PM PDT by AFA-Michigan
Some anti-pornography groups are demanding answers as to how much presidential candidate Mitt Romney knew about the Marriott hotel chain's profits of pornography sales during his nearly ten years on the Board of Directors in the 1990's.
The hotel chain is one of many that offer pay per view sex videos for sale through in-room entertainment.
Though Marriott doesn't release their revenues when it comes to X-rated videos, industry analysts estimate it is in the tens of millions of dollars.
During his run for President, Romney has campaigned on a platform of "family values" recently telling a graduation class, "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and television and video games."
Some of these conservative grassroots activists want to know whether he spoke up or tried to put a stop to Marriott's business dealings back then.
Phil Burress, founder of Citizens for Community Values, has been fighting hotel chains for decades on this issue. He tells The Brody File that every month a group of roughly 15 anti-pornography leaders meet in Washington to discuss the latest happenings.
Mitt Romney's Marriott connection has come up repeatedly. "Ever since he announced for president, it's been a topic of discussion."
Mitt Romney's campaign told CBN the following: "Governor Romney's role as board member was in an advisory capacity on financial matters related to the company and, obviously, he did not have a role in the day-to-day operations or decisions of individual franchise holders."
John Harmer, president of the anti-pornography group The Lighted Candle Society and the former Lieutenant Governor of California under Ronald Reagan isn't buying it. He wants to hear more.
"My attitude toward board members is that they are fully responsible. They knew exactly what they were receiving. I don't think any board member under any rationale could claim ignorance. You're either a board member or not. I can't imagine a board member going a full year and not receiving a revenue report from the company."
Previous news accounts researched by The Brody File show that Romney was paid more than $100,000 per year while on the board of Marriott.
When he left in 2002, J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, called him, "an active, hands-on Director… From his first days on our Board nine years ago, Mitt has been an extraordinarily effective director and visionary leader."
Mitt Romney has a very close relationship with the Marriott family.
Romney's father, George Romney was best friends with Marriott's original founder J. Willard Marriott. Mitt Romney's first name is Willard, in honor of the Marriott founder. The Marriott family gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Mitt Romney's campaign when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994.
So far during Romney's presidential run, they have given close to $80,000.
When asked about Romney's time on the board of directors, Marriott Spokesman Roger Conner told CBN, "We don't comment on board level matters."
Conner wouldn't speculate whether Romney had any knowledge about the fight to get rid of pornography in room entertainment or whether he did anything about it. He would only say, "This area would not have been a board area…"
Conner is quick to point out that voting on in room entertainment packages would not have been something the board would have voted on. Rather, he says, this is an operations matter.
Moreover, he says that many of Marriott hotels are either owned by others or franchised.
"We have to respect the business decisions and needs of owners. The guest has a choice to opt out of the adult entertainment options."
The Brody File made repeated calls to LodgeNet, one of the main providers for hotel in-room entertainment. We asked whether hotels have the option to opt out of the X-rated films if they would like.
They did not return our phone calls. On their website, it does say that they work "closely with its hotel partners to determine the best mix of titles to maximize viewing levels. Unlike most systems, On Command Video has the ability to tailor the programming at individual hotels to match the demographic profile of that particular property's guests.
Conservative pro-family groups have been putting pressure on hotel chains for years to change their ways.
In a letter to Bill Johnson of the American Decency Association, Marriott's Chairman of the Board wrote in June of 2000, "The in-room entertainment operators who provide our systems rely upon a certain volume of movie types in order to be economically viable. If we were to eliminate the R and non rated offerings, the systems would not be economic."
Industry analysts estimate that roughly 60% of hotel chains provide in room entertainment with the X-rated pornography movie option. Yet, some have decided to drop the adult videos.
In 1999, Omni Hotels announced that it would remove adult pay-per-view movies from its guest room televisions. It took a financial hit but Peter Strebel, Omni Hotels vice president of marketing, said in a press release at the time, "
"Money is not the issue in this matter. Not all business decisions should be fiscally driven. We believe that this is the right thing to do; the right thing for Omni Hotels, our associates and our customers."
Gary Glenn, a well known pro-family activist in Michigan recently sent an email to Justin Hart, one of Mitt Romney's Faith and Values Steering Committee members. Hart also works for the The Lighted Candle Society.
Glenn writes, "It is a matter of record that during the time Romney served as a 'hands on' member of its board of directors, the Marriott Corporation sold tens of millions of dollars worth of hardcore pornographic videos… as a candidate for president, Gov. Romney has a bully pulpit from which he could greatly assist your organization and others in applying sufficient public pressure to Marriott and other white-collar porn peddlers to 'dry up some of that funding'…we encourage you to urge the Romney campaign to initiate public discussion of the above concerns and questions in a proactive fashion, for which he may receive some credit for initiative and leadership on an issue that speaks both to his personal and political integrity and to his trustworthiness should he be elected as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States."
The Brody File contacted Justin Hart who said "In this important fight against pornography there are those people who are determined to make enemies and effect zero change and there are those who propose to use their influence to create serious lasting change - Romney is in this latter camp…pure societal turnaround can only happen when people of influence find the right moment in time to lead change…In my opinion, Romney's record shows that he could very well effect that change to happen. The fact that he included a serious anti-pornography group on his Faith and Values committee suggests this as well."
That's not satisfying to Phil Buress. He wants answers from Romney. "This man is very knowledgeable about the issues, but for him to not know anything about what Marriott is selling, I found that very interesting."
The Romney campaign won't go beyond their initial statement.
Instead they point out that Governor Romney is actively talking about pornography issues and today's culture wars.
In a speech Romney gave nearly three months ago, he said, "I have great faith in the American people. I have faith in our children, and in our grandchildren. But at the same time, I am deeply troubled by the culture that surrounds them today.I'd like to keep pornography from coming up on kid's computers. I'd like to keep drugs off the streets. I'd like to see less violence and sex on TV and in movies and in video games…I believe that the most important work being done to strengthen America's future is the work that is being done within the 4 walls of the American home."
Just as there is a wing of liberal types who are notably degenerate, there is a wing of conservative types who are notably prudish.
“Crack cocaine is an illegal substance. Therefore, drug dealers are not only breaking the law and should HANG but yes they are personally responsible for their actions.”
Obscenity is also an illegal substance, Saundra, as evidenced by the two Marriotts in Cincinnati who removed the chain-supplied porn flicks under threat of criminal charges by local prosecutors.
If Romney and the rest of the Marriott board — which has ultimate decision-making power over what is and is not allowed in Marriott hotels — are not responsible for the corporate policy of marketing $30 million in porn flicks a year, then WHO exactly is responsible for such corporate policy?
The question answers itself. The board has ultimate authority; thus, the board is ultimately responsible.
How many hotels allow prostitutes to work the bars, and otherwise come to businessmen's rooms an hour after the horny toad calls an escort agency.
I agree. You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know hotels of every stripe offers or atleast offered them.
And no, I didn’t watch any.
I am a smoker. Everyone knows it is bad for me, but, I elect to smoke cigarettes regardless. If I, or anyone of age wants to pay additional for a porn movie and watch in the privacy of their room, then let them. That is the 'conservative' mentality. A Christian or Islamic 'fundamentalist' mentality tells one, "No viewing of porn, having anal or oral sex, no drug use, no tobacco use and no alcohol"
These two distictions get confused by many people. Which of these two are you, conservative or fundamentalist?
I think it's more about a lack of maturity than anything else. I'm not into porno at all, but I don't find this stuff morally (and mortally) offensive - some people go that way, no skin off my nose. I think it's bad, but it is a free country, after all.
I'm not about to get nostalgic about the kinds of governments that outlaw porno - the Taliban! Haha!
Because what adults do on their own time is none of my business, and it shouldn't be yours. Are the millions of hotel travelers running for President? No, they're not. Stop trying to control the lives of grown folks.
Shouldn't you be at a Keyes fundraiser or something? ROFL
I think you are a nut.
The federal government has no business setting up federal obscenity laws. I honestly think people have forgotten what the federal government is permitted to do, constitutionally speaking. The legacy of Sherman lives on.
A pornographer, which is what Romney is by definition, since he profited from the sale of porn, should not run for, or be considered for, President of the United States.
Here’s a test of your political character: If this same information were coming out about Hillary Clinton, would you be defending her?
“Are the millions of hotel travelers running for President? No, they’re not.”
But the guy who sat on the board while Marriott sold an estimated $300 million in porn flicks is.
And he wants us to trust him to enforce federal laws that prohibit the SALE of obscenity regardless of the age of those who watch or use it.
The question is whether Romney is a conservative. What were his formative influences? What does he believe, deep down? What has he DONE, particularly as a governor. Stories like this are a silly sideshow that tell us little if anything.
Once again, the liberaltarians demonstrate their total lack of understanding of what true American liberty consists of. They just don’t get the fact that the founders never considered liberty the freedom to do what is wrong.
“The federal government has no business setting up federal obscenity laws.”
Your opinion is duly noted, Azalea.
In the meantime, they exist, and candidates for president ask us to trust them to enforce them, among other things.
I'm saying stop trying to regulate the lives of adults.
Body parts, children, cocaine, sex? Certain elements of the market “demand” all of these. Somebody in Saudi Arabia or China would buy your daughter if she’s for sale.
Specious comparison. What you've stated is already illegal. Child porn is illegal, as well as it should. None of your business if adults want to watch other adults have sex.
Does the demand make it moral to supply it, or do hyper-amoralists believe that moral judgment should provide no balance at all to supplying whatever is demanded?
I'm not an "amoralist." I turn to my community and church for guidance rather than busybodies pushing an agenda. You are not going to change those who are determined to chose their own path. And you cannot regulate supply and demand, no matter how noble your cause is.
Obviously, social conservatives believe a candidate who had decision-making authority for 10 years on the board of a corp that sells tens of millions a year in pornography, which is a proven motivating factor in sex crimes, should be held publicly accountable.
First of all, your linkage of porn to sex crimes has already been proven bunk. Second of all, porn from hotel rooms constitutes a fraction of all available porn. What about the bazillions of websites that offer porn? The rental tapes? The shady adult book stores? Romney is profiting off of that too?
Mitt’s “see no evil” spin won’t sell nearly as well as Marriott’s porn.
I'm not a Mitt fan but this is really disingenious and petty. Wake me up when you go after the Dem candidates that are involved in corporations profiting from porn too.
I'd be chastising you FReepers for wasting your time on this when Hillary has millions of other tons of dirt on her.
You forgot to determine whether he was aware.
But it’s clear by your agenda that isn’t important to you.
Well, I’ll admit that you’ve run the gamut...all the way from ridiculous Giuliani supporter to Romney/porn defender. Good luck with that.
Typical big-government socon. Blame the corporation instead of the patrons who demanded it.
And he wants us to trust him to enforce federal laws that prohibit the SALE of obscenity regardless of the age of those who watch or use it.
Last time I remember hotels offering porn were within the legal guidelines. Nobody forces you to click on the remote, bub.
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