Pressure to Donate to Romney Alleged in Complaint (executive loses job)

[Newsjock]

Source: Wall Street Journal

A former executive who says his boss pressured him to contribute to Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has filed an employment-bias complaint that offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of big-money corporate fund raising.

Richard Pimentel, a former executive of Huron Consulting Group Inc., contends he lost his job as a financial-management consultant partly in retaliation for refusing the chief executive's repeated calls to contribute to the former Massachusetts governor's bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

The company denies that charge. But officials confirm the authenticity of emails showing that the CEO of the Chicago-based corporate consulting firm, Gary E. Holdren, repeatedly linked his requests for donations to Huron's business prospects. The emails were provided to The Wall Street Journal by Mr. Pimentel.

"This is not about me trying to force a political candidate on you and trying to see how you vote," Mr. Holdren wrote in one email, dated Jan. 27, 2008, to Huron managing directors, the firm's senior executives. "This is just business and the way business works."


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121806644837018651.html?mod=hps_us_inside_today

[yardwork]

1. "This is just business and the way business works."

That pretty well sums it up. Also explains how the chimp got huge campaign donations.

[Tempest]

2. This is a slam-dunk case

"This is just business and the way business works."

It's the way corrupt businesses work.

This is a clear case of coersion.

[elehhhhna]

3. The guy broke several laws and put it in writing? They really ARE

stupid & arrogant enough to not cover their own tracks, aren't they?

[Tempest]

4. He was obviously drunk with power

Since he's probably a Mormon and they're forbidden to drink (although I know several who do).

[elehhhhna]

8. If not drunk with power, certainly a punk with power.

Badmanagement 101

[pleah]

5. K&R I hope they actually do something with this thug.

I know Mr. Pimentel has the e-mails and all, but I won't hold my breath waiting to see if they convict Holdren of this crime.

[Indenturedebtor]

6. I worked for a company here in Tucson that does this to it's managers as well

Yes they're Rethuglicans. It's one of the reasons that I left that company even though I seemed to be on a fast track there for awhile. Couldn't stomach the thought.

[MicaelS]

9. Did you

Make it clear to them why you were leaving?

[mcg]

7. Companies asking for contributions should be illegal.

Just asking is in the same ballpark as coercion. The employees sense that there will be consequences if they do not comply (either the lack of a reward or worse). The employer will know if an employee contributed (via e.g. opensecrets.org).