Press Herald Quotes Fake “Smaller Company Coalition” Devoid of Disclosing Funding Ties to Liberal Dark Dollars Groups

The Press Herald has but once again been duped into quoting a left-wing astroturf group that purports to represent Maine smaller organizations.

The so-known as “Maine Smaller Company Coalition” sounds like a group that represents Maine smaller organizations. If you only study the Press Herald, you most likely assume that is what it is.

But according to records from Maine’s Secretary of State, the “coalition” is in fact an assumed name registered to the Maine People’s Alliance, a left-wing nonprofit funded by international dark dollars.

Press Herald reporter Joe Lawlor credulously quotes “Selecca Bulgar-Medina, director of the Maine Smaller Company Coalition” in his story on the push for new taxes to fund a state-run paid leave system in Maine.

Press Herald reporter quotes fake organization advocate

A cursory use of Google search would have revealed that Bulgar-Medina’s fake organization group is headquartered at 565 Congress St., Suite 200. Portland, Maine 04101.

That just takes place to be the precise address and workplace suite of the Maine People’s Alliance and a host of other liberal front groups.

Such a search would have also revealed that Bulgar-Medina has in no way run a smaller organization in Maine or anyplace else.

A short assessment of Maine campaign finance would have also shown the Bulgar-Medina is listed as a “decision maker” and “fundraiser” for a Maine People’s Alliance-backed ballot query committee to advance the paid leave tax.

Political groups made by operatives to seem like they are “grassroots” organizations are recognized as astroturf.

The Maine Wire has reported on the Maine People’s Alliance‘s deceptive use of astroturf due to the fact 2013.

For additional than a decade, distinct causes, funded by dark dollars contributions, have employed the name “Maine Smaller Company Coalition” to give the look that smaller organizations help left-wing policies, which invariably implies larger taxes.

All through that time, Maine’s liberal newspapers have either been complicit in the deception or also lazy to query the motivations of the folks they’re quoting.

The citation in this instance is especially egregious contemplating that the Maine People’s Alliance was the group that organized tens of activists to turn out in help of the paid leave tax bill in the course of the committee hearing for the bill.

Maine campaign finance records show that “Mainers for Paid Leave BQC,” the principal political group backing the ballot initiative, is also registered to the identical workplace suite in Portland.

Lawlor is correctly quoting a paid political operative, who is funded by international billionaires, and participating in the fiction that she is somehow a representative of all Maine smaller organizations.

Press Herald readers would have no way of figuring out, primarily based on the lack of disclosure, that Bulgar-Medina, the ballot query operatives, the Maine People’s Alliance activists (like State Sen. Mike Tipping), are all operating the identical group and are paid by the identical collection of dark dollars donors.

These donors consist of billionaires like George Soros and S. Donald Sussman, former owner of the Press Herald, who give to Arabella Advisors, a left-wing pass by way of organization.

[RELATED: Swiss Billionaire Funds Tax-the-Rich Liberals in Maine…]

Linked Press reporting earlier this year revealed that Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss is also amongst the left-wing donors whose dollars has located its way into Maine politics vis-a-vis Maine People’s Alliance and other groups.

To place this in terms even a Press Herald reporter could have an understanding of: this would be like Exxon Mobil forming the “Maine Environmentalist Coalition” and then lobbying for larger taxes on wind energy and solar energy.

If that sounds stupid, it is since it is.

You’d have to be a actual rube to get an clear political deception like that.