Trump-Linked Data Firm Removes State Dept., NATO Logos After NBC Questions

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-linked-data-firm-removes-state-dept-nato-logos-after-n788691

The company that created Cambridge Analytica, the data analytics operation that helped Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election, has removed the U.S. State Department logo and the NATO logo from its website after inquiries from NBC News.

The website of SCL Group, a private British behavioral research company, featured the State and NATO logos and used language touting their "approval" of the company's "methodology" until last week.

The company was awarded State Department contracts this year to help fight ISIS recruitment and has taught behavioral change science at a NATO-affiliated training program.

(snip)

Federal election filings show that Cambridge Analytica received $11.7 million from Trump and Cruz super PACs in 2015 and 2016. It received $5.7 million from a separate super PAC, Make America Number 1, which first supported Cruz and then Trump, and is primarily funded — to the tune of $15.5 million — by hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer.

(snip)

SCL Group was awarded its first contracts with the State Department in February and March of 2017 to help the government's Global Engagement Center (GEC) effect behavior change amongst potential recruits to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The two contracts, totaling $496,232, are described as "target audience research." The contracts were not opened up for competitive bidding due to "national security" concerns before they were awarded to SCL, according to the website USASpending.gov.

(end snip)

So, let me get this straight. Some of the $80 mil that Tillerson said yesterday he was rejecting for the GEC was given this year to Mercer? to target audience research? Paging Mr. Mueller!