Robert Creamer (political consultant)

For the American sportswriter, see Robert Creamer.
Robert Creamer
Born (1947-06-28) 28 June 1947
United States
Nationality American
Occupation Political consultant, community organizer, author
Political party Democratic Party
Spouse(s) Jan Schakowsky

Robert Creamer is an American political consultant, community organizer, and author. He is the husband of Jan Schakowsky, the Congressional Representative for Illinois's 9th congressional district.[1] His firm, Democracy Partners, works with issue campaigns. He also leads the nonprofit group Americans United for Change.[2]

In 2005, Creamer pleaded guilty to tax violations and $2.3 million in bank fraud in relation to paying checks with insufficient funds, to fund his public interest group in the 1990s.[1] He repaid the funds, and was convicted and sentenced to five months in prison at Terre Haute and eleven months house arrest.[2][3]

Creamer resigned from his consulting position with the Democratic National Committee in October 2016 after a video was released which showed him discussing a scheme to pay people to incite violence at rallies for the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.[4][5] The footage showed Creamer discussing fraudulent voting arrangements, although he did not endorse the methods discussed and voiced concern to the potential donor that those efforts would be tantamount to voter fraud. Creamer and Democratic Party spokespeople subsequently described the conversations as "hypothetical" and denied that the tactics described had been used.[4]

Early life and education

Creamer was born in 1947. He graduated from Duke University in 1967, writing his thesis, "Duke Employees Local 77: Confrontation over Impartial Arbitration of Grievances", about the AFSCME Local 77 union.[6] He later did graduate work at the University of Chicago.

Career

Community organizing and political consultancy

Creamer began his organizing career in 1970 working with Chicago's Citizen Action Program (CAP). During his tenure, CAP successfully campaigned to reduce the sulfur dioxide in Chicago's air by almost two thirds. Creamer founded the Illinois Public Action Council (later known as Illinois Citizen Action) in 1974. It became Illinois's largest consumer advocacy organization, advocating for lower utility rates, environmental concerns, and legislation benefitting senior citizens.[7] Creamer directed the organization for 23 years.[8]

In 1997, Creamer co-founded the Strategic Consulting Group, a political consulting firm that works with issue campaigns. His clients have included MoveOn.org, Americans United for Change, and USAction. He organized a successful campaign to stymie the privatization of Social Security. He has acted as a consultant for campaigns geared towards ending the Iraq War, enacting comprehensive immigration reform, and passing universal health care legislation. Creamer has worked on numerous Democratic Party campaigns.

Creamer spoke at the 2010 America's Future Now Conference.[9] Creamer signed The Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality, an initiative launched by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on May 12, 2015.[10]

Bank fraud and tax evasion convictions

On March 11, 2004, Creamer, the executive director of the Illinois Public Action Fund, was indicted in federal court on 16 counts of bank fraud involving three alleged check-kiting schemes in the mid-1990s, leading several banks to experience shortfalls of at least $2.3 million.[11] In August 2005, Creamer pleaded guilty to one count of failure to collect withholding tax and one count of bank fraud, for writing checks with insufficient funds. All of the money was repaid. Schakowsky was not accused of any wrongdoing,[12] although she served on the organization's board during the time the crimes occurred,[13] and signed the IRS filings along with her husband.[14] The U.S. district judge noted no one suffered "out of pocket losses," and Creamer acted not out of greed but in an effort to keep his community action group going without cutting programs, though Creamer paid his own $100,000 salary with fraudulently obtained funds.[15]

On April 5, 2006, Creamer was sentenced to five months in prison and 11 months of house arrest.[16] Creamer served his five-month incarceration at the Federal Correction Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana and was released on November 3, 2006.[17]

Feud with Glenn Beck

In December 2009, conservative Fox News host Glenn Beck criticized Creamer for accompanying his wife, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, to a November 2009 state dinner at the White House (the same dinner was noted in the media for its security breaches).[18] On his show, Beck highlighted Creamer's convictions and called Creamer's book a "prison manifesto", claiming that it had been the basis for the Affordable Care Act. Creamer later retorted that "[t]his is a man who lies about everything"[18] and called Beck a part of a "new McCarthyist movement of the far right."[19]

Project Veritas Action videos

In October 2016, activist James O'Keefe's Project Veritas Action released hidden-camera videos showing Creamer and others who worked for firms hired by the Hillary Clinton campaign engaging in conversations about voter registration. The videos have together garnered over 12 million views as of October 2016. One clip in the video shows Creamer meeting with an undercover activist posing as potential donor. After the actor suggests finding a way around voter registration laws, Creamer responds "my fear is that someone would decide that this is a big voter fraud scheme."[20]

They also discussed using operatives in Donald Duck costumes to remind voters that Donald Trump had not released his tax returns, and referred to the scheme as something Clinton wanted.[21][22] A subordinate seemingly discussed tactics for baiting supporters into violence at Trump rallies.[4][22][23]

As a result of the video, Creamer announced his resignation from the Democratic National Committee.[24] Creamer's Democracy Partners released a statement on October 18, 2016:

Our firm has recently been the victim of a well-funded, systematic spy operation that is the modern day equivalent of the Watergate burglars. The plot involved the use of trained operatives using false identifications, disguises and elaborate false covers to infiltrate our firm and others, in order to steal campaign plans, and goad unsuspecting individuals into making careless statements on hidden cameras. One of those individuals was a temporary regional subcontractor who was goaded into statements that do not reflect our values.[20]

Creamer described the statements in the video as "unprofessional and careless hypothetical conversations" and said that the schemes discussed had not taken place. Former interim democratic chairperson Donna Brazile similarly said, "We do not believe, or have any evidence to suggest, that the activities articulated in the video actually occurred."[4]

Trump senior communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement, "In a totally disqualifying act that is a violent threat to our democracy, Hillary Clinton directly involved herself in inciting violence directed at Trump supporters." The statement demanded an investigation into the matter.[22]

The Clinton campaign said that Project Veritas has "been known to offering misleading video out of context."[4] They denied that the Donald Duck costumes were Clinton's idea, stating that:

While Hillary Clinton can’t claim credit for coming up with a duck to highlight how Donald Trump is refusing to release his tax returns, she certainly was amused watching him ride up and down Trump Tower’s escalator.[21]

Publications

Creamer is an author and regular contributor to the Huffington Post. He wrote the book Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win.[25]

Personal life

Creamer was previously married to Day Piercy. He married Jan Schakowsky in 1980.[7] She has served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois's 9th congressional district since 1999.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Congresswoman's husband pleads guilty to two felonies". USA Today. August 31, 2005. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Bella, Peter (March 29, 2012). "Convicted felon Robert Creamer is heading Americans United for Change". Washington Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ Creamer, Robert (March 18, 2010). "What I Learned When I Spent Five Months at the Federal Prison Camp at Terre Haute". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Eder, Steve; Martin, Jonathan (2016-10-20). "Videos Put Democrats on Defensive About Dirty Tricks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  5. ↑ O’Keeffe, Kate (2016-10-19). "Democratic National Committee Operatives Step Aside After Release of Videos". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  6. ↑ Ludwig, Erik (Spring 1999). "Closing in on the "Plantation": Coalition Building and the Role of Black Women's Grievances in Duke University Labor Disputes, 1965-1968". Feminist Studies. 25 (1): 79–94. doi:10.2307/3216671. JSTOR 3216671.
  7. 1 2 Pick, Grant (January 29, 1998). "Three of a Kind". Chicago Reader.
  8. ↑ Baiman, Rhon (January 1996). "Rallying the Troops in Peoria: Illinois Public Action Convention". New Ground.
  9. ↑ Our Future website: Take Back America 2010 Speakers
  10. ↑ Signers of the Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality. The Progressive Agenda.
  11. ↑ Robinson, Mike (March 11, 2004). "Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's husband indicted". Associated Press.
  12. ↑ "Congresswoman's husband pleads guilty to two felonies". USA Today. Associated Press. August 31, 2005. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  13. ↑ Flannery, Mike (April 5, 2006). "Congresswoman's Husband Gets Jail Time For Bank Fraud". WBBM TV CBS 2 Chicago].
  14. ↑ Newbart, Dave (March 12, 2004). "Schakowsky's husband indicted in bank fraud". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  15. ↑ Chicago Tribune
  16. ↑ Korecki, Natasha (April 6, 2006). "Schakowsky's husband given 5 months for check-kiting: Prosecutors sought 3 years for bank fraud that aided nonprofit". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Inmate Locator". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  18. 1 2 Rhodes, Steve (December 10, 2009). "Glenn Beck Takes on Jan Schakowsky's Hubby". NBC Chicago.
  19. ↑ Skiba, Katherine (December 10, 2009). "Glenn Beck and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's husband trade jabs". Chicago Tribune.
  20. 1 2 Weigel, David (October 19, 2016). "Two local Democratic operatives lose jobs after video sting on voter fraud". Chicago Tribune.
  21. 1 2 Sam, Friznell (October 26, 2016). "Hillary Clinton Knew About Donald Duck Stunt But Never Broke Law, Campaign Says". Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 "Trump campaign: Video shows Clinton coordinated with liberal group to incite crowds". October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  23. ↑ Lee, Michelle Ye Hee (October 21, 2016). "Fact Checker: Trump's claim tying violence at his rallies to the Clinton campaign". Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  24. ↑ Diaz, Daniella; Griffin, Drew (October 18, 2016). "Dem operative 'stepping back' after video suggests group incited violence at Trump rallies". CNN. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Book TV: Listen to Your Mother, Stand Up Straight!". C-SPAN. February 28, 2008.
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