Stop SB48 Referendum Epic Fail

The Capitol Resource Institute did it again. Like with the SB777 referendum – they screwed up another one, or they ran another fund-raiser.

However, this time – the insider community is abuzz as it has become apparent to many that it appears that they may never have been serious about the effort in the first place. Add to this, they are struck with an FPPC complaint for being a non-profit engaging in political activity and we have issues.

We have been documenting the activity of the Capitol Resource Institute because we believe they are a fraud. We also believe, based on our compilation of data and anecdotes that the Capitol Resoruce Institute has established itself as a fund-raising operation first and foremost.

We now have a pattern of three issues – SB777, Prop 8 and now SB48 where the Capitol Resource Institute appears to have utilized a hot-button issue to profit itself.

In the expose on the fake Prop 8 website ran by the Capitol Resource Institute – I observed some patterns that repeated with the SB48 referendum:

1. CRI employees were apparently taken off the CRI payroll and paid through the campaign.

2. The address of the Stop SB48 and the CRI were the same for all intents and purposes.

3. There was no public accounting of what was done with the money raised – only scrutiny and research in to the fake prop 8 website exposed what was done.

4. According to volunteers that were present in the Stop SB48 headquarters – the effort was disorganized and there was no serious, coordinated or sustained effort to validate signatures that were being gathered. In addition – it appeared to the same source that the “staff” didn’t really seem to care about what was coming in the mail – and the error rate on the petitions was well over 50%.

This would lead one to believe that the Stop SB48 effort was a fundraiser for the Capitol Resource Institute and not a serious effort to do anything.

I have heard charges leveled myself from Consultants and Conservative Activists about the CRI and its’ activity that suggest that the opinion expressed here on this blog is not unique.

It certainly makes sense how David Stafford Reade and Karen England could accuse their political enemies of fraud, money laundering, influence peddling and the like – they seem to be familiar activities based on what I have observed, found, been told, and have experienced through the eyes of others.

Sad.