Outrage (and Strong Language) at RNC Tactic

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Maryn

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The Republican National Committee calls my dead mother-in-law about every six weeks. Once we clear up that I’m not that Mrs. Maryn (who never lived her or had this phone number), I ask that her name be removed from calling and mailing lists. I’m perfectly pleasant.

Today, I wasn’t, because the caller, representing a major political entity, lied. Not a little fib but a great big whopper designed to induce guilt and elicit check-writing.

“Hello, Mrs. Maryn. This is Michael Hughes of the Republican National Committee. I’m calling to thank you for your pledge, and to remind you that we’re still waiting for your check.”

Now, my mother-in-law could not possibly have pledged anything since March of 1999. There’s no pledge, no promise. That’s just a lie.

“How much was that pledge?” I asked.

“Let me see, it’s hard to line up the names and the amounts. Does $50 sound right?”

At which point I shrieked at him that he was a m-----f---ing liar and I hoped someone was cheating his mother out of her money at this very moment. I capped it off with the classic closing, “you f---ing a--hole.” (Classic for a reason, no?)

This not only enraged me but depressed me. How many older people do they call with this blatant lie about money pledged but not paid?

Older people are fully aware that their memories are not what they once were, and most of them have a high code of honor that involves keeping their word, even if they don’t remember giving it. I’m sure the RNC guilt-trips many, many people into honoring pledges they never made.

So if Michael Hughes* of the Republican National Committee calls you, tell him he can go f--- himself with a straight razor, from me, acting in behalf of all the elderly people he's bilked.

His mother would be ashamed.

Maryn, still livid (thanks for letting me vent!)

*Yes, that's the name he gave. I used to be required to address callers by name, and catching names is a habit I kept.
 

brokenfingers

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Isn't that illegal? It sounds like a con somebody might pull.

Isn't there somebody you can contact about this? Man, I'd definitely regard this as somthing worth contacting somebody over.

Preying on unsuspecting people to raise money for politicians???? Wow....
 

clintl

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Wow. What a scumbag.

Good job, Maryn, I approve of the way you handled that.
 

reph

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brokenfingers said:
It sounds like a con somebody might pull.
It sure does. Have you asked the Republican National Committee whether they (or their fundraising contractor) even have a solicitor named Michael Hughes?
 

SpookyWriter

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Grrrrr....what scoundrels! I second your motion to pepper these dorks with emotion. You did good!

+ wipes tears from his eyes +
 

Haggis

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I'm proud of you Maryn. But don't think the DNC won't do the same thing. It all stinks.
 

Jamesaritchie

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RNC

Somehow, I doubt the caller had anythng to do with the RNC. Anything is possible, but this is one of the oldest scams in the book. I know from experience that the only way you can say a pledge was promised is if you have the paper right in front of you, whetehr it's RNC or DNC. You're bing monitored, and violating this gets you canned at once.

But a pledge can be, and often is, at least a year old. The original pledge, in fact, can be up to ten years old, whether with the DNC or the RNC.

If this guy is really with the RNC, he's definitely an outcast, and won't be around long. And he certainly isn't very good at his job, definitely isn't reading the papers in front of him, and doesn't know anything about how the DNC or the RNC collect pledges.
 

Carole

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Completely sideways, man
When I was a military wife, it seemed like every time a carrier group headed out for a 6 month cruise the preyers came out of the woodwork. They targeted military wives and made it sound SO legitimate. Thing was, ex-jerk only went to sea once in his career - he was an air traffic controller. They'd claim that some higher-up on the base had them call wives whose husbands were out to sea like it was something the Navy supported. One was even for a pay phone-sex thing!!!
 

SpookyWriter

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Haggis said:
I'm proud of you Maryn. But don't think the DNC won't do the same thing. It all stinks.
Naw, they're too busy building low rent housing for those folks in New Orleans.
 

Chacounne

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Maryn,

I would contact the RNC Headquarters about this, seriously, and then, if they confirmed that this Michael person did represent them, I would call the media. People need to be warned about this.

Just my two cents,
Chac
 

Shadow_Ferret

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“Let me see, it’s hard to line up the names and the amounts... ”

Why would that be? Don't they keep records? hard to line up names to amounts. Maybe they need new spreadsheet software. "The columns don't match up!"

*still in shock over finding out Maryn uses that sort of language*
 

September skies

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That's awful! My mom is 85 and she is always falling for that kind of stuff. I went over once and saw her writing a check out. She was very worried about not having enough to make it that month. I asked why she was donating $50 to the fire department and she said they told her she had to in order to protect her home. (not the local fire dept. ) I called and let them have it too! (but language a little better but loud)
 

mdin

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Maybe he didn't lie. Maybe the person who called last time lied and wrote down that the Deceased Mrs. Maryn did indeed pledge $50, so he can get his quota for the day.
 

maestrowork

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brokenfingers said:
Isn't that illegal? It sounds like a con somebody might pull.

That might very well be. But I know it happens. The widowed father of a friend of mine gets calls like that all the time, and he's losing his memory, so he always ends up sending in checks for $20 here, $15 there. Those people ought to be ashamed of themselves, especially if they actually work for these organizations. My parents get these calls, too, but they always just slam the phone down. :)
 

reph

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Chacounne said:
I would contact the RNC Headquarters about this, seriously, and then, if they confirmed that this Michael person did represent them, I would call the media. People need to be warned about this.
I agree. People should be warned whether or not Michael works for the RNC. Call the RNC, call the media, call the AARP.
 

JennaGlatzer

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Grrrr! I'm with you, Maryn. I got a call like this about 6 months ago, from some organization thanking me for my "past pledge" of $35 and asking me to pledge again... I knew without a doubt that I had never pledged anything to them before, and I was furious that they were trying to trick me.

I think I'd go to the media with it, too, though, in your mother's case-- that's egregious. Jerks.
 

Jcomp

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Of course this can happen with any political entity. It's a scam, directly from a campaign committee, could happen with Reds, Blues or Greens. Don't presume just because it's unethical or even illegal that it must not be the work of the party claimed to be represented.


JComp, who's sorry to hear about what happened, Maryn.
 

ChaosTitan

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It's very likely this Michael Hughes character has nothing at all to do with any real committee, RNC or otherwise. It could be a backdoor scam.

I remember some months after 9/11, quite a few "groups" were arrested for fraud (I think). They solicited money for charities meant to help the families of 9/11 victims, but they were all bogus. Creepy people using a national tragedy to make easy money.
 

veinglory

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One way to know for sure would be a brief written complaint sent to the most highly placed RNC person you can get an address for. Preferably specifiying the time, date and any other identifying details. I find sending it on letterhead with all the letters after my name often had gratifying results (up to and including getting a real estate agent fired for using his skeleton key to get into my property which was not for sale, he got the wrong address and then lied through his teeth about it like I was some delusional bimbo).
 

Jcomp

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veinglory said:
One way to know for sure would be a brief written complaint sent to the most highly placed RNC person you can get an address for. Preferably specifiying the time, date and any other identifying details. I find sending it on letterhead with all the letters after my name often had gratifying results (up to and including getting a real estate agent fired for using his skeleton key to get into my property which was not for sale, he got the wrong address and then lied through his teeth about it like I was some delusional bimbo).

wait, wait, wait. He lied about it? Like "No really, I have the right address and this house is for sale!" "No really, it's not. I know, I live here." "No you don't. You're an intruder. I demand you leave at once!"

Not to hijack someone else's thread, but I'm just curious.
 

Maryn

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You all might be interested to know that I contacted the Attorney General's office of my state and they were very interested indeed. I gave permission for them to view my phone records for this date, and the approximate time I received the call, so they could trace the number from which the call came. (I don't have caller ID and didn't think to punch whatever number combination tells you the number.)

I like our attorney general, and he'll probably get my vote when he goes for the governorship.

Maryn, voter extraordinaire
 

veinglory

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Good for you!

And he lied that he had been in my house because I caught him on the front path, leaving--but the silly bastard left his business card on the middle of my dining room table. He made a mistake, that happens; but he should have fessed up at *some* point. I didn't know the man so that card didn't teleport there. His boss only had to follow up with the client to work out they'd been shown my cat-infested heap not the lovely cottage next door.
 

GPatten

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It is a backdoor scam.

chaostitan said:
It's very likely this Michael Hughes character has nothing at all to do with any real committee, RNC or otherwise. It could be a backdoor scam.

I remember some months after 9/11, quite a few "groups" were arrested for fraud (I think). They solicited money for charities meant to help the families of 9/11 victims, but they were all bogus. Creepy people using a national tragedy to make easy money.


It is a backdoor scam.

Neither the DNC, nor the RNC would pull a dirty hook such as this.

I could be wrong, but I don’t think they go for small change like this; they go for money in larger amounts from people they invite to plate dinners, money in large amounts sent voluntarily, and many other ways. If something like this were to happen, it would be big news everywhere.

I hope I’m right.
 

MadScientistMatt

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Maryn said:
You all might be interested to know that I contacted the Attorney General's office of my state and they were very interested indeed. I gave permission for them to view my phone records for this date, and the approximate time I received the call, so they could trace the number from which the call came. (I don't have caller ID and didn't think to punch whatever number combination tells you the number.)

I like our attorney general, and he'll probably get my vote when he goes for the governorship.

Maryn, voter extraordinaire

Good luck. I hope they catch this bastard, whether he is RNC or just an "independant contacter." (No, that's not a misspelling.)
 
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