Arizonans just keep getting hoodwinked.
Posted on 03/01/2011 4:26:36 PM PST by mnehring
PHOENIX -- A tea party organization based in Mesa, Ariz., which has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, spent nearly half of its budget on marketing its own name, according to Federal Elections Commission documents.
Those records, obtained during a CBS 5 News investigation, also show the organization spent no money to directly support tea party candidates.
The website, JoinTheTeaParty.us is registered to a nonprofit corporation in Mesa. When CBS 5 News reporters contacted the director of that company, they were referred to a Washington, D.C., attorney, who said the personnel in Phoenix were too busy to sit down for an interview.
CBS 5 News began its investigation into the company after receiving a phone call from an East Coast tea party activist who said nobody within the tea party movement he had spoken to had heard of the Mesa organization.
The caller also told CBS 5 News it did not appear the organization was spending any of its donations to support tea party priorities.
Among the findings of the CBS 5 News investigation, the organization spent $181,000 on Google, Facebook and other websites for advertising. As a result, when CBS 5 producers typed the phrase, "tea party," into the Google search engine, the first paid advertisement that popped up was for JoinTheTeaParty.us.
Additional digging into the organization's background revealed the director of the nonprofit also has ties to companies that collect and sell people's personal information. Todd Cefaratti is listed as the director the the nonprofit, as well as a company known as reverseleadclub.com.
At a recent tea party rally at the state Capitol, no tea party supporters approached by CBS 5 News had heard of the wesbite.
An e-mail written to CBS 5 News from Washington attorney Dan Backer stated that the site develops and distributes daily information on local and national tea party events. Backer also wrote that the website does not share the names or personal information of its donors with any other commercial interests.
Several donors to the site contacted by CBS 5 News said they were under the impression they were joining the official tea party when they donated to the website. The populist tea party movement is not an official national political party.
Click here to see the Federal Elections Commission report which documents the finances of “JoinTheTeaParty.US.”
ping
Care to explain this Todd?
They tried creating a fake tea party here in Michigan and took a real beat down at the hands of the woman who later became out secretary of state. I believe some pretty serious charges are pending against a couple of them.
What a bunch of creeps!!
Todd
Cefaratti
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President and CEO for the largest reverse mortgage lead providers in the nation. Our clients are some of the largest lenders in the nation.
Mesa, Arizona
18 daysago
Former financial manager and marketing specialist Todd Cefaratti offers his insights to mortgage companies as well as the Tea Party political organization. A graduate of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California Irvine, Todd Cefaratti holds degrees in economics and marketing as well as a lifetime membership with chapters of Sigma Chi International at the University of Arizona and UCLA. The Executive Director of TheTeaParty.net, Todd Cefaratti assists the political movement in enhancing its web presence. One of the Tea Party’s most important online outlets, TheTeaParty.net contains information about the Tea Party’s mission and philosophy, nearby Tea Party chapters, and how to start a Tea Party chapter. Todd Cefaratti also includes a Voter ShoutBox on the website so that any of the page’s visitors can post their thoughts and comments about the Tea Party and the country’s current political situation. A nonprofit organization, TheTeaParty.net also provides information for people who wish to donate to the cause or join in any of the Tea Party events Todd Cefaratti organizes. Responsible for the Tea Party gaining an additional 10,000 members a week, Todd Cefaratti regularly conducts political rallies and bus tours. Through Todd Cefaratti’s efforts, TheTeaParty.net has become one of the largest sponsors at the Conservative Political Action Conference in the nation’s capital. Professionally, Todd Cefaratti uses his years of experience in the financial market at Glengary Inc., where he acts as CEO and President. A marketing consultancy, Glengary Inc. primarily handles reverse mortgage leads. Under Todd Cefaratti’s leadership, the company connects the country’s largest mortgage lenders with individuals interested in obtaining a reverse mortgage. Engaging his charitable side, Todd Cefaratti also offers his talents as a Marketing Director and member of the School Board to the private institution Christ’s Greenfield Lutheran Church & School in Gilbert, Arizona. An avid reader, some of Todd Cefaratti’s favorite works include Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Mark Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, and Reagan: A Life in Letters. Todd Cefaratti currently lives in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife and two daughters.
Todd Cefaratti’s Schools
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UCLA , Class of 1985
Bachelo
http://bigsight.org/todd_cefaratti
Yes, I know it is hard to read. Posted with original formatting.
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Todd, looks like a CBS affiliate figured out your scam.
That’s pretty lame.
After all, we (Buckhead) sent Rather packing.
Alway some crook trying to screw people out of their money. If you sent this a hole money show up with a s&w and get your money back.
Arizonans just keep getting hoodwinked.
You think any of that is true?????
It's on the internet, it must be! ;)
Doesn’t even make political donations in his own name.
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Cefaratti&state=AZ&zip=&employ=&cand=&all=Y&sort=N&capcode=9t7m2&submit=Submit
No, none of it is true. The guy is a scam artist.
Very interesting, thanks for the ping.
Pretty smart marketer, getting the website TheTeaParty.Net
Seems to have sucked a lot of people in.
Yep; the tea party is filled with scammers, and anyone actually wanting to make a difference ought to only give to groups and people they actually know/are involved with.
J.S.
Honestly I’m concerned about the people who were taken in. The fake tea party in Michigan was far more elaborate and even had a roster of candidates (at least one of whom wasn’t aware he was running) but it doesn’t appear that anyone was fooled for a minute.
http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/13429
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