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WASHINGTON—
Mark Kennedy, a former GOP congressman from Minnesota who directs the George Washington University School of Political Management, noted that campaigns doing business with firms owned by senior staff must have safeguards to ensure that the candidate's best interests are being served.
"You make sure that key decisions are confirmed by people that don't have a conflict," he said.
The Romney campaign declined to answer questions about how it manages potential conflicts or whether senior advisors have a say over how much is allocated to their firms.
Several top officials oversee departments in which related firms provide services.
One of the campaign's top vendors is Targeted Victory, a 3-year-old digital consulting firm whose co-founder, Zac Moffatt, is the campaign's digital director. The Alexandria, Va.-based company has been paid more than $64 million for digital consulting and Web development.
A large share probably went to buy online ads, although those figures are not broken out in Federal Election Commission reports. Digital media consultants said commissions for such buys usually range from 10% to 15%, often not including fees for creative consulting.
Another official with business ties to a vendor is Rich Beeson, Romney's political director. Before joining the campaign, he was a partner at a Minnesota-based telemarketing firm called FLS Connect, which has been paid $16.5 million.
The company also has a tie to Targeted Victory: FLS Connect partner Tony Feather is listed as the original manager of the digital firm, according to corporate paperwork filed in Minnesota.
Three staff-run firms share an address.
American Rambler, which was registered in May 2011, is located in a suburban office building about 20 miles north of Romney's Boston headquarters.
Also there are two firms run by the campaign's chief financial officer, Bradley Crate: Red Curve Solutions, a financial management firm that the campaign has paid nearly $1.4 million for compliance consulting, and Easterly Capital, a private equity firm that has received almost $1.5 million for the use of its corporate jet.
--
matea.gold@latimes.com
maloy.moore@latimes.com
melanie.mason@latimes.com
Times staff writer Anthony Pesce contributed to this report.
"You make sure that key decisions are confirmed by people that don't have a conflict," he said.
The Romney campaign declined to answer questions about how it manages potential conflicts or whether senior advisors have a say over how much is allocated to their firms.
Several top officials oversee departments in which related firms provide services.
One of the campaign's top vendors is Targeted Victory, a 3-year-old digital consulting firm whose co-founder, Zac Moffatt, is the campaign's digital director. The Alexandria, Va.-based company has been paid more than $64 million for digital consulting and Web development.
A large share probably went to buy online ads, although those figures are not broken out in Federal Election Commission reports. Digital media consultants said commissions for such buys usually range from 10% to 15%, often not including fees for creative consulting.
Another official with business ties to a vendor is Rich Beeson, Romney's political director. Before joining the campaign, he was a partner at a Minnesota-based telemarketing firm called FLS Connect, which has been paid $16.5 million.
The company also has a tie to Targeted Victory: FLS Connect partner Tony Feather is listed as the original manager of the digital firm, according to corporate paperwork filed in Minnesota.
Three staff-run firms share an address.
American Rambler, which was registered in May 2011, is located in a suburban office building about 20 miles north of Romney's Boston headquarters.
Also there are two firms run by the campaign's chief financial officer, Bradley Crate: Red Curve Solutions, a financial management firm that the campaign has paid nearly $1.4 million for compliance consulting, and Easterly Capital, a private equity firm that has received almost $1.5 million for the use of its corporate jet.
--
matea.gold@latimes.com
maloy.moore@latimes.com
melanie.mason@latimes.com
Times staff writer Anthony Pesce contributed to this report.
