Last week I shared some background that I uncovered on the opaque website Slabwatchdog.com here. More digging has turned up additional information that brings some much needed sunlight to the question of whether Slabwatchdog.com is a frontgroup.
Follow the Money is as useful a directive today as it was back in the early 1970's when it became the famous phrase used by the source "Deep Throat" in the investigation of the Watergate break in.
We have established the connection between Slabwatchdog.com and the Republican online consulting firm Campaign Solutions. This firm was founded and is headed by Becki Donatelli who has an extensive record. As Chief Internet Consultant to John McCain’s two presidential races, she directed the online campaigns.... During the 2008 cycle, her team raised an unprecedented $100 million online for Sen. McCain’s election.
She also lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband Frank Donatelli who has a long history with Republican politics. He was a political aide in the Reagan Whitehouse and was selected by John McCain to be the deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee during the 2008 presidential election.
So we have a clear connection from Slabwatchdog.com to a serious Republican power couple at the top of the McCain/Palin campaign in 2008.
Slabwatchdog.com mentions two companies involved with the lead recycling industry: the Doe Run Company, and the RSR Corporation, each with a different proprietary industrial process. Let's take a closer look at these companies.
The Doe Run Company is one of the world's largest lead producers. It is wholly owned by the Renco Group which is in turn wholly owned by family trusts established by the company's Chairman and CEO, Ira Rennert.
Ira Rennert made his fortune in junk bonds and is reported to own the largest house in the U.S. Ira Rennert and the Renco Group were also a big contributors to the McCain 2008 campaign and the RNC. Both he and his wife made the maximum personal contribution, and were a top twenty contributor ($192,200 to the RNC).
Now we have connected the firm holding the leash on Slabwatchdog.org to the controller of a company (Doe Run) feeding the Slabwatchdog.
Let's turn our attention to the RSR Corporation.They are one of the largest lead smelters in the US, and also recycle lead components, polypropylene plastic battery cases, and battery acids in lead-acid batteries. RSR Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Quexco Incorporated and is controlled by Chairman and CEO Howard M. Meyers. In addition to his other civic engagements Howard serves on the Board of Overseers of New York University's, Stern School of Business with amongst others, Renco Group Chairman Ira Rennert.
Is Slabwatchdog.com a frontgroup? Looking at what we have uncovered: There is a strong connection between the McCain online fundraising firm managing their website (Campaign Solutions) and the two corporations championed on their website.
Both RSR Corp,and Doe Run are controlled by privately held parent companies- (Renco Group and Quexco Inc.) whose chairman serve on the Board of NYU's business school, and of which one (Renco Group) was a major Republican donor to the 2008 McCain campaign.
The interesting question is what are they really up to? Slabwatchdog’s campaign seems designed to promote their interests, but why? They aren’t doing this because they care about the environment or are themselves particularly “Green” players. What is their purpose ? What is their business objective? Stay tuned…I think we’ll know soon.