Fraudulently using the name of a nonexistent AAUW branch on letters to congressional representatives to influence their vote on the Clean Energy and Security Act, the so called “cap and trade bill” – one of the biggest pieces of environmental economics legislation in a decade – that stunned me. I was shocked that ACCCE would abuse AAUW’s impeccable reputation with an outright forgery to Congress. But now, my most recent discovery has truly disgusted me — they falsified the letter using the address of the multistage retirement community where my mother had just died. Did they think no one would find out?
It wasn’t until today that I thought to look up the address that the forgers, a contractor of ACCCE called Bonner & Associates, had used on the fraudulent letter. An aerial photo of the address shocked me completely…my mother’s home for more than a decade…the assisted living unit where I stayed with her during the last weeks of her life, cared for by devoted staff and hospice nurses.
It isn’t bad enough these cynical corporate interests spend millions trying to influence Congress, but to steal the identity of an organization which for 128 years has been advocating to improve the lives of women and their families, forging the AAUW name and using our venerable reputation as one of the leading organizations to misrepresent us to Congress – that IS a crime. They can’t dispute the fact that this was premeditated and calculating — they used the logo of AAUW and the address of a highly reputable nonprofit continuing care community. I wonder if they thought they could blame it on some “sick elderly person” if they got caught?
Well, AAUW has noticed, and we are fed up! It is time for Congress to defend itself and other victims of this fraud. Please tell Congressman Markey to continue his investigation, and to consider holding hearings to get to the bottom of this mess.
Written by Jill R. Birdwhistell, PhD, AAUW Chief of Strategic Advancement.
As a former President of the Charlottesville Branch, I was shocked to learn from Gwen Dent, our most recent President, that the cited letter used her home address without her permission and cited the name of our dear lamented longtime historian, Anne Waldner, who died before the ‘cap and trade’ issue ever came up. So, not only were Bonner and Associates engaging brazenly in theft of the AAUW logo, their theft of address and identity was grossly insulting.
Thanks for your post, Jill. In addition, I’m glad to see your letter to the editor was published today in The Daily Progress in Charlottesville, VA:
http://tinyurl.com/lb964o
To: Congressman Markey, VA
The fraud by special interest groups using the AAUW logo is abhorent to all members of our organization and well as to people of good will everywhere. It is to be hoped that you will continue to probe this outrageous act and to urge prosecution of the suspected individuals who were parties to such an act.
Thank you,
Darlene G
Dear Congressman,
I am truly outraged at the lack of ethics and common sense that lobbying groups and political activitist will use to get attention.
As the technology becomes more sophisticated it is harder for individuals and organizations to protect themselves and their good names for common theives masquerading as do-gooders.
There is no easy answer to thwarting these technotheives, but a measure of caution must be exercised by legislators who receive mailings from institutions / groups / non-profits that would not normally reach out in such a private way.
The burden that extemists place on the legimitate change process is staggering and themockery made of legimitate organizations cannot be tolerated. Prosecuting known offenders, regardless of their cries of innocence, is essential.