Romney Quietly Hires Consulting Firm With Sordid History Of Destroying Dem Voter Registration Forms

Romney Quietly Hires Consulting Firm With Sordid History Of Destroying Democratic Voter Registration Forms
By Lee Fang posted Jun 6th 2012 at 8:00AM



Republic Report has covered how political money can corrupt government by influencing the actions of elected representatives. But professional hacks can also disrupt democracy by interfering with the voting process itself.

Late last year, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign began paying Nathan Sproul, a political consultant with a long history of destroying Democratic voter registration forms and manipulating ballot initiatives. Sproul, who changed his firm’s name from Sproul and Associates to Lincoln Strategies, has received over $70,000 from Romney’s campaign. Much of the campaign coverage has focused on the rhetoric of surrogates and the role of high-priced television advertisements. But if Sproul continues to play a role in the campaign, and if his previous work is any guide, his firm may have an impact on key swing states.

ThinkProgress covered Sproul and his work for the coal industry. The post, which partially reprinted below, goes through his greatest hits, including evidence that his firm systematically suppressed Democratic voters on behalf of the Bush-Cheney 2004 presidential team and deceiving voters during registration drives in 2006: