July 2007
National Review Defends BMW Direct
Last week the Boston Globe ran an article about BMW Direct, a conservative direct mail firm in D.C., accusing them of shady business practices. The article accused the firm of raising $700,000 on behalf of a congressional candidate in Massachussets and then keeping 96% of the money they raised for themselves.
Now there are some pretty shady characters in political fundraising on both sides of the aisle, but I'll admit that I was immediately dubious of the article because I've known someone who's worked at BMW for years and my impression of BMW is not just that they were a reputable direct mail firm, but a good one. Further, the way the article was written immediately set off alarm bells. First, the article notes that "BMW Direct's chief executive, Kimberly Mellissimo [sic], and other firm members declined requests for interviews." (FWIW, her name is actually Bellissimo.) Then later it says, "The firm issued a statement saying it stands by its handling of the accounts."
But nowhere in the article does it actually quote the statement. So I spoke to my friend at BMW direct, and as it turns out the statement they gave to the reporter actually disputes the 96 percent figure by 13 percent. And yet, the reporter didn't use it.
You can read the rest of Mark Hemingway's article by clicking here!
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