About Me 0014: foreclosure victims

Fox News personality and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) recently began appearing in television commercials calling for viewers to dial a 1-800 number to sign a repeal petition against health reform called “Repeal It Now.” The ad, a “project of Restore America’s Voice” (RAV), a political action committee run by Huckabee’s friend Ken Hoagland, also directs viewers to a website that solicits donations [...]

According to disclosures filed with the FEC, RAV’s campaign is managed by a firm called the 949 Media Group. 949 has been paid tens of thousands of dollars to set up RAV’s website and Google search optimization, and receives a regular commission of $10,000 for related media work from RAV. ThinkProgress spoke to a representative from RAV, who told us that 949 is run by an individual named Derek Oberholtzer. According to the representative, Oberholtzer has worked with RAV since the PAC formed in October.

Oberholtzer is well known as scam artist who has used a myriad of tricks to defraud people out of their money. In addition to 949 Media Group, he started a number of companies, including “Apply 2 Save” (A2S) and Giant Media Works. Consumer report websites are rife with complaints about Oberholtzer’s odious business practices. In one scheme, Oberholtzer paid for radio and other advertisements telling distressed homeowners to contact his company A2S to pay a flat $595 fee to receive assistance in renegotiating their loans or to block a bank foreclosure. The Federal Trade Commission has prosecuted Oberholtzer for deceptive practices. In numerous cases, Oberholtzer took the $595 payment, and never did anything to stop a foreclosure or even contact the mortgage company in question. In many instances he continued billing his customers further fees totaling nearly $1,000 without lifting a finger to actually renegotiate their mortgage or halt a foreclosure, as his “Apply 2 Save” company promised.

Responding To TP Report, Huckabee Group Fires Scam Artist Who Defrauded Foreclosure Victims

On Tuesday, ThinkProgress reported that former Governor and current Fox News personality Mike Huckabee has been starring in a new health reform ad campaign run by a political consulting firm owned by a notorious scam artist. The firm Huckabee’s group had hired is 949 Media Group, a company run by Derek Oberholtzer — a notorious scam artist who ripped off foreclosure victims. Before going into political work, Oberholtzer ran a company that promised aid to people facing foreclosure. But prosecutors from Idaho and the federal government found that Oberholtzer had systematically robbed his customers by charging them with fees ranging from $595 – $1,500 without doing a thing to help them with their mortgages. Responding to ThinkProgress’s report, Huckabee colleague Ken Hoagland sent Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times a statement indicating that they will fire Oberholtzer:

Ken Hoagland, chairman of Restore America’s Voice said, “We have terminated the services of 949 Media after we saw a web report last night detailing prior complaints involving its participation in certain mortgage relief marketing activities.” Hoagland said that 949 Media was a subcontracting vendor “responsible for web consulting but was never tasked with any management or leadership role” within the growing national campaign, as originally reported. “We were unaware of the seriousness of the past issues with this vendor and we have taken immediate action to terminate the relationship. No public official working with us to repeal the healthcare act had any knowledge of nor relationship with any vendor or subcontractor,” said Hoagland.

Over the years, Huckabee has been accused of using non-profits to enrich himself and his family. Although it is unclear if Huckabee receives any monetary gains from his latest venture, it is laudable he has at least distanced himself from a scam artist like Oberholtzer.

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

foreclosure victims

Responding To TP Report, Huckabee Group Fires Scam Artist Who Defrauded Foreclosure Victims

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