The Great Allen West Hoax

A quick reminder of the not so distant past : Patriots For Economic Freedom’s Allen West Scam

You may remember the recount drama back in the 2012 elections over Allen West’s congressional seat. Well, libertarian Tyler Whitney’s faux-conservative group Patriots For Economic Freedom was right there trying to cash in on it.

But as you’ll see in a moment, Tyler Whitney and his (Dan Backer connected) Patriots For Economic Freedom group were once again running a scam.

Here’s Tyler Whitney (using his pseudonym Andrew Whitney) posted about on their ‘Allen West Facing Recount!’ page:

 

But It Was A Scam, According To The West Campaign

A Politico story from 2012 tells the story:

There’s a new super PAC popping up in this year’s campaign: SCAM PAC.

In the presidential race, and tied to the coattails of Republican firebrand Rep. Allen West, a cottage industry has sprung up in which groups with such seemingly innocuous names as “Patriots for Economic Freedom” use high-profile campaigns and big names like West to raise money for themselves and build their email lists.

It’s the inevitable, if unsightly, convergence of the Internet, tea party, the post-Citizens United campaign-finance era and the presence of a Democrat in the White House who is despised by many conservatives. Political operatives can create a PAC and corresponding website on the cheap, drop some cash to rent an email list and, voilà— in come the small-dollar contributions from grass-roots Republicans eager to support any effort aiming to turn out President Barack Obama or reelect the fiery West.

Except those chunks of $25 and $50 don’t often find their way to any serious campaigns to beat Obama or boost West.

“The vast majority of the groups that we know are engaged in this have done nothing for West,” said Jill Holtzman Vogel, the congressman’s campaign attorney.

History Repeats & The Scams Keep Going

Tyler Whitney and group is still at and so is attorney Dan Backer; using the name and reputation of well-known conservative figures to raise cash in deceptive ways.

A quick pitch: I’ve been covering the story of how these people are ripping off conservative and Tea Party donors. Please hit my tip jar with a donation to support this work.