Last edited Fri Nov 2, 2012, 12:02 PM - Edit history (3)

Cross-posted in the Virginia group.

Learning from the master of corrupt politics himself

Donny Ferguson, former aide to as yet unindicted Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling), is the subject of a fascinating investigative story by PBS Frontline showing how Donny has applied the lessons of dirty politics, smear campaigns, and dubiously legal fundraising pioneered by his mentor Delgaudio.

Donny, as many Loudoun residents know, is the mastermind of periodic sleazy robocalls which attempt to spread dirt on candidates just before an election. Because his “American Tradition Partnership” claims to be a “social welfare non-profit” organization, it is allowed only to “educate” voters on “issues,” not endorse candidates. It is illegal for such organizations to coordinate with campaigns.

Mysterious Docs Found in Meth House Reveal Inner Workings of Dark Money Group

....
The documents pointed to one outside group pulling the candidates’ strings: a social welfare nonprofit called Western Tradition Partnership, or WTP.
....

In the meantime, the group has changed its name to American Tradition Partnership, reflecting its larger ambitions. This month, it sent Montana voters a mailer in the form of a newspaper called the Montana Statesman that claimed to be the state’s “largest & most trusted news source.”

The front page accused the Democratic gubernatorial candidate of being soft on sex offenders.

Donny Ferguson, American Tradition Partnership’s spokesman and executive director, did not specifically address the documents found in Colorado or allegations of coordination made against WTP.

About the Statesman

Donald E. Ferguson is Editor and Publisher of the Montana Statesman.

An award-winning newspaper veteran, Ferguson has been commended by other newspapers for his “honest, intelligent and issue-oriented” approach.

A political independent, Ferguson was previously involved in efforts to investigate and prosecute corruption in both the Clinton and Bush administrations.

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Contact America Tradition

Main Number: 1-888-987-USA1
Fax Number: 202-204-6051

Donny Ferguson, National Director of Media & Public Relations
(703) 200-3669
donald.f@americantradition.org

202 is in DC, and 703 is in Virginia.

Candidate Donny Ferguson

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Donny Ferguson (L-36)

#AGE: 28
#CAMPAIGN MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 3134, Reston, Va. 20195
#CAMPAIGN PHONE: 703-200-3669
#E-MAIL: Donny@DonnyFerguson.com
#WEBSITE: www.donnyferguson.com
#OCCUPATION: Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, staff
#EMPLOYMENT: Loudoun County citizens
#EDUCATION: Texas A&M University, 1995-1998, Political Science

Geektools for DonnyFerguson.com

Domain name: DONNYFERGUSON.COM

Administrative Contact:
Ferguson, Donny donny_ferguson@yahoo.com
PO Box 3134
Reston, VA 20195
US
+1.7032003669
Technical Contact:
Ferguson, Donny donny_ferguson@yahoo.com
PO Box 3134
Reston, VA 20195
US
+1.7032003669

LinkedIn profile

Donny Ferguson
President, Ferguson Worldwide

Location
Washington D.C. Metro Area
Industry
Public Relations and Communications

Judge to sanction American Tradition Partnership

Associated Press

HELENA — A judge said Thursday that he will sanction American Tradition Partnership — at the center of several legal battles over Montana's campaign laws — for failing to produce organizational records in a 2-year-old case where it is fighting allegations of illegal electioneering.

And in a bizarre twist, the state office holding high-profile documents that ATP opponents argue can prove wrongdoing by a consultant to the group, reported a Wednesday night break-in. Officials said nothing appeared to be stolen.

Group's records suggest candidate coordination

MATT GOURAS, Associated Press
Updated 8:03 a.m., Tuesday, November 6, 2012

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Bank records show a conservative group took payment from a Republican legislative candidate at about the time it sent out independent mailers attacking his opponent, which opponents say illustrates how the advocacy group illegally coordinates its efforts with candidates.

The Western Tradition Partnership bank records show Dan Kennedy's 2010 winning campaign for a state House seat wrote the group a check for $557.50 after it had filled mailboxes with attacks against primary opponent Debra Bonogofsky of Billings.

The bank records were released under court order Friday to PBS' "Frontline," which published them.

The state attorney general's office argues that American Tradition Partnership — the new name for WTP — wrongly hides behind its nonprofit status to funnel money into Montana elections while hiding its donors and spending.

Last edited Sat Oct 19, 2013, 02:43 PM - Edit history (2)

Delgaudio censured, punished by colleagues on all-Republican board
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1081949

Rep. Steve Stockman Invites ‘Obama’ Rodeo Clown to Texas
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014566080

Virginia link to Frontline story about outside money in Montana
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1081548

Donny Ferguson is Steve Stockman's communications director. He is the aide who handles Stockman's social media accounts. He is on the receiving end of several dubious payments from Loudoun County, Virginia, supervisor Eugene Delgaudio.

Steve Stockman staffer takes twitter feeds seriously
http://hoh.rollcall.com/steve-stockman-staffer-takes-twitter-feeds-seriously/

The Texas Republican, though, largely doesn’t tweet from his official feed, leaving it to his communications director, Donny Ferguson.

Rep. Steve Stockman's Facebook spammed by liberals
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/rep-steve-stockmans-facebook-spammed-by-liberals.html/

WASHINGTON – Republican Rep. Steve Stockman of Friendswood has deleted his Facebook page, blaming “liberal” spam featuring poop emoticons and inappropriate sexual references.

The Facebook page was deleted sometime last night, but a campaign Facebook page remains up and running. Stockman also has a congressional Twitter account and campaign Twitter account.

Donny Ferguson, the Stockman aide who handles social media accounts for the freshman conservative, said his office used the now-deleted Facebook page to reach out to children and didn’t want them to see inappropriate content.

More Delgaudio money laundering
http://realloudoun.com/2012/11/05/more-delgaudio-money-laundering/

Nov 05 2012
By realloudoun -
More Delgaudio money laundering

Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling), as we know, is now at last under (extremely slow) investigation for using his county office, staff, and budget to carry on his very lucrative trade in outside political lobbying activity — really pseudo-political money-generating that earns him $150,000+ a year by rattling the cages of homophobic rich right wing donors with mailings warning that e.g. (this is a direct quote) “The Radical Homosexuals infiltrating the United States Congress have a plan: Indoctrinate an entire generation of American children with pro-homosexual propaganda and eliminate traditional values from American society.”

Delgaudio’s former aide Donny Ferguson, having learned at the knee of the master, as it were, has been running his own similar pseudo-lobby “American Tradition Partnership”; for a while, until they caught him at it, he was operating it right out of Delgaudio’s office himself.

However, Delgaudio is still enjoying a very cozy relationship with his protege, funneling county expense funds to Donny on a regular basis, supposedly for preparing his newsletters” for him. County budget records show repeated payments of $1,000 or $1,250 to Donny Ferguson and Associates from Delgaudio for “designing” his newsletter; $500 for “designing a postcard”; $1,250 for “designing artwork for postcards.” (See sample below.)

Nice work if you can get it!

It’s against the law for groups like American Tradition Partnership (a “social welfare non-profit” — right) to coordinate political activity with political candidates; it’s under investigation in Montana for violating that. It would be interesting to know what Delgaudio is really buying with these payments to Ferguson . . .

Last edited Fri Sep 6, 2013, 11:35 AM - Edit history (1)

I didn't even have to look to know who would be getting the money. It's money laundering, plain and simple.

Delgaudio given $6,000 for Sterling district newsletter
http://www.loudountimes.com/news/article/delgaudio_given_6000_for_sterling_district_newsletter543

Delgaudio's initial recommendation included in Wednesday's board packet called for more than $3,700 of public funds to go to the communications firm of Donald Ferguson for graphic design work. Ferguson is a staunchly conservative former staff aide to Delgaudio.

Delgaudio: “I’ll be more careful” ( for two days)
http://realloudoun.com/2013/09/06/delgaudio-ill-be-more-careful-for-two-days/#more-1310

....
One thing the Board did not mention among Delgaudio’s many misuses of funds was the tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money he routinely handed over to his former aide Donny Ferguson — ostensibly for “graphic design” services for his “news(sic)letters” and other mailings, but at rates that should have raised the eyebrows of any sentient human being — $750 to design a postcard, thousands of dollars for each “news(sic)letter.”

in fact, as any sentient human being in Loudoun politics knows, the very fetching Donny in fact runs one of the ugliest political hit and dirty trick operations around. During the last campaign he carried out robocalls smearing lies about Malcolm Baldwin, the candidate running against Republican Geary Higgins for supervisor of the Catoctin District. (Though supposedly an “educational” activity uncoordinated with any candidate, in fact Donny was overheard at a GOP event discussing this very robocall plan with Higgins. Which may explain why Geary tried to block the Board’s punishment of Delgaudio, specifically oposing the takeover of his office budget by the full board.) Back when he worked as Delgaudio’s aide, Donny was so blatantly using his office in the county building for political operations that the board had to install new locks to keep him out of there after hours.

anyway, Eugene this week submitted his first request for approved funds for his office budget. suitably chastened by his censure for misappropriating public assets for political activity, Delgaudio asked for $17,000 to publish three “news(sic)letters” … With $3,700 of that going to Donny, as usual.

plus ca change!