'Viewers Beware' Report By Watchdog Group Exposes Conservative Group Behind Anti-Healthcare...

'Viewers Beware' Report By Watchdog Group Exposes Conservative Group Behind
Anti-Healthcare Ads Running In Eight States

Group led by conservative political operative with ties to convicted lobbyist
Jack Abramoff

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Public Campaign Action Fund
issued a new investigative report today called "Viewers Beware of Anti-Health
Care Ads" to expose the group behind the political ads, currently running in
eight states, opposing health care reform. The ads are funded by the Americans
for Prosperity Foundation, which has a record as a right-wing political
operation and is headed by an operative with ties to convicted lobbyist Jack
Abramoff.

"It's important understand who is behind this advertising campaign," said
David Donnelly, national campaigns director of Public Campaign Action Fund.
"Americans for Prosperity is led by a political operative with ties to
convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and funded by one of the biggest donors on
the right in this country."

The report was released as anti-health care ads from the group are running in
Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and
Virginia. Among the report's highlights:
-- In addition to opposing a public health insurance option as part of
health care reform, Americans for Prosperity opposed expanded coverage
for children's health through SCHIP, opposed a Texas smoking ban,
and suggests that the poor get their coverage through Medicaid while
arguing that Medicaid costs are "bankrupting our country."
-- Through several foundations, the founder of Americans for Prosperity,
David Koch, has given $132 million to organizations, including a
"Who's Who" of conservative groups. Koch has also given
nearly $800,000 in federal political donations since 1989.
-- The current president, Tim Phillips, worked with failed political
candidate and former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed at Century
Strategies, a public relations and lobbying shop they co-founded.
Century Strategies was funded to further Jack Abramoff's
clients' goals, including Indian casinos and maintaining sweatshops
on the Northern Mariana Islands.

-- The group organized some of the "tea party" protests and has
signed up "Joe the Plumber" as a speaker at its events.

A full copy can be found at http://www.campaignmoney.org/healthcare/AFP

"The media - particularly the television stations profiting from these ads -
have a civic responsibility to share with the public who is behind the
anti-health care messages," continued Donnelly.

Public Campaign Action Fund is a national nonpartisan organization dedicated
to advancing comprehensive campaign finance reform. It also works to hold
anti-reform elected officials accountable for their connections to special
interests.

SOURCE Public Campaign Action Fund

David Donnelly of Public Campaign Action Fund, mobile: +1-617-899-1084