Always More Consultants. Always.

The Real News Project takes a look at some of the consultants who represent the Democratic portion of Wal-Mart’s multi-million dollar lobbying and public relations team:

THOMAS QUINN

Thomas Quinn has been active in Democratic politics from Sen. Edward Kennedy’s (D-MA) presidential run in 1980 to Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA) in 2004. He’s a key player on financial services, taxation and homeland security issues. Venable’s clients have included: Wal-Mart, Tsakopoulos Investments (real estate developer which has worked with Wal-Mart; lobbying concerning the Endangered Species Act); Timmons Real Estate (Endangered Species Act); National Company for Mechanical & Electrical Works Ltd (Kuwaiti firm re contracts in Iraq); Allied Capital (US government ran a criminal investigation of the firm’s largest subsidiary, which makes government-backed loans to small businesses; Venable hired an SEC attorney who grilled a critic of Allied); McWane (Birmingham, AL-based cast iron pipe manufacturer; the company was heavily fined and executives convicted in federal court for environmental crimes)…

LESLIE DACH

Vice president of Edelman World-Wide. Former media consultant for Bill Clinton, former senior advisor for communication for the Democratic National Committee and the Kerry for President Campaign in 2004. Key organizer of the 2004 Democratic Convention, manager of Democratic response to the 2004 Republican Convention. Lobbyist for Environmental Defense Fund.

Firm clients include Wal-Mart – Dach was architect of the Arkansas-based company’s “rapid-response war room” designed to preempt and counterattack criticism of the company from labor, environmental and small business critics. Dach heads Edelman’s Corporate Social Responsibility practice where his role has included defending Edelman PR’s relationship with tobacco companies, despite the company’s pledge not to represent tobacco companies. Clients of his CSR practice include TotalFinaElf, an oil conglomerate with interests in Sudan and investments in Burma which provide revenues to the country’s oppressive military regime, along with the foods giant Kraft (owned by tobacco company Altria, it is trying to improve its image and convince the public it is not aggressive in marketing junk foods to kids; the company makes, among other things, Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, and Kool-Aid). Dach is also head of the agency’s advertising operation, Blue Worldwide, whose clients include the American Petroleum Institute…

ANDREW YOUNG

Head of consulting firm, GoodWorks International. Noted civil rights leader and contemporary of Martin Luther King. In a symbolically freighted move, GWI, which advises corporations on how to be “forward-thinking,” moved in 2005 to K Street.

Firm clients have included: Nike (Young gave a clean bill of health to Nike’s controversial Asian factories; at the time, the company was accused of violating virtually every international labor standard); Wal-Mart (is chairing an organization called Working Families for Wal-Mart, intended to counter the chain’s negative image and praise Wal-Mart for bringing low prices and jobs to inner-city neighborhoods)…

CATHERINE PINO

Served as the Deputy Director of Urban School Reform for the Carnegie Corporation of New York; worked for Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM); served on the National Council of La Raza and handled nonprofit issues at the Washington, DC-based Independent Sector. Board member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute; first Latina co-chair and board member of the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City; serves on various philanthropic committees including Hispanics in Philanthropy, Grantmakers for Education, Donors Education Collaborative and Latino Fund of the Tri-State.

Firm clients include: Wal-Mart; Comcast (nation’s largest cable operator, uses aggressive anti-union tactics, trying to block cities from providing cheap wireless Internet access, censored political issue ads it didn’t like); Sodexho (huge French-owned military food contractor, facing class action suit by black employees over racial discrimination in hiring and promoting practices)…

• Click here to read more about Wal-Mart’s consulting team.

Posted by Media Team on Thursday, June 15, 2006

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