NGOs Launch Campaign to Stop the Chamber of Commerce

President Obama, Nike, Apple, And Others Slam Chamber Positions

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, a coalition of NGOs,
representing over a million members, launched a campaign at
www.StopTheChamber.com to stop the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from undermining
health care, environmental protection, elections and big business regulation.
The coalition is asking the Department of Justice to conduct a criminal
investigation into illegal conduct by the Chamber and is demanding that
Chamber CEO Tom Donahue be fired.

The Chamber is spending over $100 million to defeat new initiatives to reform
the banking and health care industries and oppose legislation to curb global
warming. On Friday, President Obama slammed the Chamber, and five major
companies, Nike, Apple, Exelon Energy, PG&E and Public Service Co. of NM
recently quit the Chamber because of its position on the environment. "The
StopTheChamber coalition fundamentally disagrees with the Chamber on virtually
every major public-policy issue, including financial deregulation, tax and
fiscal policy, global warming and environmental enforcement, consumer
protection, health care reform and climate change, all which elevate the
interests of corporations over the well being of citizens they serve," said
coalition spokesperson and attorney Kevin Zeese.

The StopTheChamber coalition demands:

* Fire Tom Donohue. Mr. Donohue is the Chamber's CEO who single handedly
turned the Chamber into a pay-to-play vehicle for right-wing causes and
corporate dishonesty. As former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said,
''Tom Donohue has never once found a crime that he couldn't justify, as long
as it was committed by one of his dues-paying members."

* Drop Corporate Support for the Chamber. Companies that do not agree with
Chamber positions should quit their membership, and the coalition will target
companies with exposure and boycotts if they remain with the Chamber.

* Launch A Federal Criminal Investigation Against The Chamber For Fraud, False
Tax Filings And Campaign Finance Violations. The Chamber was found to have
committed fraud and campaign finance violations in Ohio by creating a front
group called Citizens for a Strong Ohio and funneling millions of dollars
through it to defeat Supreme Court Justice Alice Resnick. This illegal Chamber
practice is widespread and was also used against Karl Rove-targeted
Mississippi Justice Oliver Diaz, and against other candidates in Indiana,
Pennsylvania, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, West Virginia, and
Arkansas.

* Ask Congress To Investigate The Chamber. Congress should hold hearings to
investigate the illegal and unethical activities of the Chamber, including
astroturfing and election manipulation.

* Reorganize The Chamber. The Board of the Chamber should shut down the
Chamber's lobbying arm and legal reform arm, and return to being a respected
trade organization rather than a partisan PAC.

* Speak Out Against The Chamber. Companies, politicians and others that do not
agree with the flat earth, anti science, partisan, anti people approach of the
Chamber should speak out publicly against the Chamber.

The StopTheChamber coalition is mobilizing massive opposition in order to
pressure Congress, the Attorney General and companies to take action against
the Chamber.

SOURCE www.StopTheChamber.com

Ilene Proctor PR, +1-310-858-6643, for www.StopTheChamber.com