E.P.A. Contractor Has Spent Past Year Scouring the Agency for Anti-Trump Officials

[lanlady]

[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/us/politics/epa-scott-pruitt-foia.html|

One of the top executives of a consulting firm that the Environmental Protection Agency has recently hired to help it with media affairs has spent the past year investigating agency employees who have been critical of the Trump administration, federal records show.

The firm, Definers Public Affairs, based in Virginia, specializes in conducting opposition research, meaning that it seeks to find damaging information on political or corporate rivals.

A vice president for the firm, Allan Blutstein, federal records show, has submitted at least 40 Freedom of Information Act requests to the E.P.A. since President Trump was sworn in. Many of those requests target employees known to be questioning management at the E.P.A. since Scott Pruitt, the agency’s administrator, was confirmed.

Mr. Blutstein, in an interview, said he was taking aim at “resistance” figures in the federal government, adding that he hoped to discover whether they had done anything that might embarrass them or hurt their cause.

“I wondered if they were emailing critical things about the agency on government time and how frequently they were corresponding about this,” he said. “And did they do anything that would be useful for Republicans.”

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The entire article is worth a read... 'chilling' is the first word that comes to mind. Absolutely Soviet-esque.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Just like the McCarthy era. I keep feeling like I am in a time machine.

Being taken back to the worst eras in American history.

[Igel]

3. In so many ways, to be honest. n/t

[Irish_Dem]

4. Yes, many flashbacks to other eras. nt

[riverwalker]

2. An actual purge

Horrifying

[Irish_Dem]

5. Yes just like McCarthy era. Or Nazi Germany. nt

[Faux pas]

6. Kicking with great fear

and disgust

[dalton99a]

7. Trump and his gang are literally destroying our government

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. More about Definers Corp., from Mother Jones magazine:

The EPA Hired a Major Republican Opposition Research Firm to Track Press Activity

The EPA Hired a Major Republican Opposition Research Firm to Track Press Activity

It promises war room style media monitoring.

REBECCA LEBER, ANDY KROLL AND RUSS CHOMA DEC. 15, 2017 6:00 AM

Using taxpayer dollars, the Environmental Protection Agency has hired a cutting-edge Republican PR firm that specializes in digging up opposition research to help Administrator Scott Pruitts office track and shape press coverage of the agency.

According to federal contracting records, earlier this month Pruitts office inked a no-bid $120,000 contract with Definers Corp., a Virginia-based public relations firm founded by Matt Rhoades, who managed Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential campaign. Following Romneys defeat, Rhoades established America Rising, an ostensibly independent political action committee that works closely with the Republican National Committee and Republican candidates to mine damning information on opponents. Other higher-ups at Definers include former RNC research director Joe Pounder, whos been described as a master of opposition research, and senior vice president Colin Reed, an oppo-research guru billed as among the leaders of the war on {Sen. Elizabeth} Warren.
....

USASpending.gov, a website that tracks federal spending, shows that in early 2016 the EPA signed a $207,000 contract with a firm called Bulletin Intelligence, requesting similar services. Bulletin is owned by public relations giant Cision, a well-known international PR firm. According to OpenSecrets.orgs expenditure data, Bulletin is not political and has not done any recent work for any candidates or PACs. The contract expired in February.

Definers also recently launched a new venture with the global law firm Dentons, which describes itself as combining political intelligence, legal advisors, campaign-style tactics, lobbying, governmental affairs, research, and communications into one unique offering to help clients. ... The career of at least one of Pruitts staffers has overlapped with the Republican operatives at Definers. Jahan Wilcox, who previously worked for Marco Rubios presidential campaign and in rapid response for the Republican National Committee, is now a spokesperson for the EPA.
....

Rebecca Leber is a reporter in Mother Jones' DC bureau. Reach her at [e-mail].

Andy Kroll is an investigative reporter at Mother Jones. For more of his stories, click here. Follow him on Twitter here. Send tips, scoops, and documents to akroll (at) motherjones (dot) com.

Russ Choma is a reporter in the Washington bureau of Mother Jones covering money in politics and influence.

Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

The EPA Hired a Major Republican Opposition Research Firm to Track Press Activity. @rebleber @AndyKroll @russchoma

Link to tweet

* * * * *

https://www.definersdc.com/

Definers Public Affairs is a unique consulting firm that translates proven political campaign communications techniques to the corporate, trade association and issue advocacy fields.

https://www.definersdc.com/team

* * * * *

USASpending.gov

https://www.usaspending.gov/Pages/Default.aspx

[Nitram]

9. This is a toxic, fascist, authoritarian, totalitarian, vile administration.

[rlegro]

10. For what it's worth, this spying on federal employees isn't even legal.

Civil servants are quite entitled under the law to possess and actually express out loud their political viewpoints. Not during working hours or using government facilities, but in private, yes. Call for Robert Mueller! The lifeblood of democracy spilled in aisles 1 through the other side of the store!

[SpankMe]

11. Additionally, there's this:

"EPA Chief Sweeps Office for Bugs, Installs High Tech Locks"

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/epa-chief-sweeps-office-bugs-installs-high-tech-locks-n831146

The EPA seems to be a focus for some of the most secretive management in the federal gov't under Trump. There must be corruption a mile deep simmering there.