I feel obligated to preface this post by making it clear: I am not trying to discredit the Occupy movement or its supporters. I myself am one of them. I am simply trying to warn folks that the people and organizations they're working with have hidden political agendas and connections, directly relating to the Obama administration. In order for the Occupy movement to survive in any meaningful way, I believe we must expose these groups, and initiate a more transparent system for direct action.
| By Brendan Hunt: Politically aggressive front groups founded by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have been infiltrating “Occupy” coalitions nationwide with partisan agendas. These front groups advance the giant labor union’s interests without exposing the SEIU directly to criticism from the public. They also serve to keep the heat on right-wing, conservative, political organizations while deflecting criticism away from the Obama administration. |  |
The SEIU publicly endorsed Barack Obama in the last U.S. presidential election, and the head of SEIU (Andy Stern) has stopped by the White House more than any other visitor. To illustrate why this is a major problem in the Occupy movement, allow me to quote from our founding documents (The Statement of Autonomy):
"Occupy Wall Street is a people’s movement. It is party-less, leaderless, by the people and for the people. It is not a business, a political party, an advertising campaign or a brand. It is not for sale... We wish to clarify that Occupy Wall Street is not and never has been affiliated with any established political party, candidate or organization. Our only affiliation is with the people."
The infiltration and manipulation of this movement by partisan political organizations like the SEIU is a serious breach of the original intent of Occupy Wall Street, and it's a deceptive tactic that results in good-natured protesters being used as puppets to fulfill a hidden agenda.
Working Washington has a Seattle-based website which mentions nothing about its SEIU ties. That site, however — like those of the other front groups — is hosted on a server that can be traced back to the SEIU. In keeping with the SEIU’s pattern, Working Washington’s corporate registration filed with the state government in Olympia, Wash. lists Secky Fascione as its registered agent. On her LinkedIn profile, Fascione identifies herself as an “Organizing Coordinator at SEIU.”
The union’s connection to its localized network is clear. An SEIU-tied Washington, D.C. law firm incorporated each group. Founding board members are SEIU executives and organizers, and the organizations’ founding addresses match those of SEIU locals in each city. Other SEIU front groups include This Is Our DC; Good Jobs, Great Houston; Good Jobs, Better Baltimore; Detroit’s Good Jobs Now; Fight for Philly; One Pittsburgh; Good Jobs LA; and Minnesotans for a Fair Economy
The use of front groups is not a new phenomenon within the labor movement. Patrick Semmens, a spokesman for the National Right to Work Foundation, said the SEIU has turned to the tactic to promote its messages because the labor movement itself is experiencing increased hostility from the public: “Faced with an American public that is increasingly opposed to union bosses’ agenda that puts union politics ahead of taxpayers and individual worker rights,” Semmens contended, “the SEIU’s response is to create more front groups to provide the illusion of support for their big government agenda.”
Carl Horowitz, who directs the Center’s Organized Labor Accountability Project, says the SEIU’s network of fake community groups is a sign of weakness. “Why would a major union of over 2 million people put their own people on a board of non-profit organizations that seem to spring out of nowhere and that almost no one has heard of? Obviously they’re in trouble.”
When these front groups work in concert with local offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street movement, they are able to direct our energies covertly, behind the scenes. For example, in October 2011, Occupy Pittsburgh joined with the SEIU-linked One Pittsburgh to protest outside the district office of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. The demonstration was billed as an anti-Wall Street event, but with SEIU’s influence it became a protest against Toomey’s “no” vote on advancing President Obama’s American Jobs Act legislation — a failed bill that would have benefited unions.
"Occupy Wall Street is a people’s movement. It is party-less, leaderless, by the people and for the people. It is not a business, a political party, an advertising campaign or a brand. It is not for sale... We wish to clarify that Occupy Wall Street is not and never has been affiliated with any established political party, candidate or organization. Our only affiliation is with the people."
The infiltration and manipulation of this movement by partisan political organizations like the SEIU is a serious breach of the original intent of Occupy Wall Street, and it's a deceptive tactic that results in good-natured protesters being used as puppets to fulfill a hidden agenda.
Working Washington has a Seattle-based website which mentions nothing about its SEIU ties. That site, however — like those of the other front groups — is hosted on a server that can be traced back to the SEIU. In keeping with the SEIU’s pattern, Working Washington’s corporate registration filed with the state government in Olympia, Wash. lists Secky Fascione as its registered agent. On her LinkedIn profile, Fascione identifies herself as an “Organizing Coordinator at SEIU.”
The union’s connection to its localized network is clear. An SEIU-tied Washington, D.C. law firm incorporated each group. Founding board members are SEIU executives and organizers, and the organizations’ founding addresses match those of SEIU locals in each city. Other SEIU front groups include This Is Our DC; Good Jobs, Great Houston; Good Jobs, Better Baltimore; Detroit’s Good Jobs Now; Fight for Philly; One Pittsburgh; Good Jobs LA; and Minnesotans for a Fair Economy
The use of front groups is not a new phenomenon within the labor movement. Patrick Semmens, a spokesman for the National Right to Work Foundation, said the SEIU has turned to the tactic to promote its messages because the labor movement itself is experiencing increased hostility from the public: “Faced with an American public that is increasingly opposed to union bosses’ agenda that puts union politics ahead of taxpayers and individual worker rights,” Semmens contended, “the SEIU’s response is to create more front groups to provide the illusion of support for their big government agenda.”
Carl Horowitz, who directs the Center’s Organized Labor Accountability Project, says the SEIU’s network of fake community groups is a sign of weakness. “Why would a major union of over 2 million people put their own people on a board of non-profit organizations that seem to spring out of nowhere and that almost no one has heard of? Obviously they’re in trouble.”
When these front groups work in concert with local offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street movement, they are able to direct our energies covertly, behind the scenes. For example, in October 2011, Occupy Pittsburgh joined with the SEIU-linked One Pittsburgh to protest outside the district office of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. The demonstration was billed as an anti-Wall Street event, but with SEIU’s influence it became a protest against Toomey’s “no” vote on advancing President Obama’s American Jobs Act legislation — a failed bill that would have benefited unions.
Aaron Black, a.k.a. Aaron Minter
Another instance of subversion, that I personally experienced, was the SEIU-sponsored bus trip from NYC to the Tampa 2012 Republican National Convention protest. I was initially under the impression that the trip was being paid for by the massive Occupy Wall Street donation fund, but eventually learned that Obama-supporting leftist organizations were footing the bill.
The SEIU trip was organized and managed by a man named Aaron Minter (aka Aaron Black). While protesters slept in an open field that week, Aaron was put up in a Tampa hotel room. We had a running joke that he was the 1% of the 99%.
Many of the protesters on the Tampa trip were expecting the buses to swing by the Democratic Convention on the way back to New York, but since the buses were sponsored by SEIU (who were supporting Obama) there was really no plan to protest there. Upon learning this, the Occupiers revolted against Aaron Minter, and he was forced to re-route one bus to the DNC. However, Mr. Minter further betrayed Occupy principles at the Democratic Convention when he got on CNN and falsely claimed, “A lot of our people are not interested in protesting Obama.”
This caused a bit of an internal firestorm, and fueled the rumors that Aaron had ulterior motives. At the New York Trinity Church Occupy encampment the next morning, there were a lot of boos when Aaron’s democratic leanings were discussed. No transportation back to NYC was provided to the DNC protesters either, and many were left stranded.
Aaron Minter is part of a small ring of well-connected people who repeatedly exploit the Occupy movement to promote events for partisan political purposes. He meets regularly with White House officials to plan astroturf events like "Occupy the NRA." He also has an office in Washington DC, at H street & 7th, and well-respected Occupiers have informed me he collaborates with the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).
Aaron Minter, has a history of arrests for menacing, and one for burglary the day after 9/11, at a closed store two blocks from Ground Zero. He was also arrested in April 2012 for "vandalizing" more than 20 subway stations throughout New York City with Occupy-themed stickers and flyers. Police were able to nab him for that publicity stunt because Aaron foolishly invited the NY1 cable television station along to film it. He was charged with criminal mischief (a felony) as well as making graffiti, and possession of graffiti instruments, both misdemeanors. Aaron was sentenced to 10 days at Rikers Island jail.
These actions shed a negative light on Occupiers and the movement itself, in the minds of the public. If anything, this information should call into question his abilities and motives as an organizer for the Occupy community. Aaron Minter also uses a fictitious last name (Aaron Black), perhaps to throw off any curious individuals looking into his past. I would assume that there are folks like Aaron all across the United States who have infiltrated Occupy groups and subverted them.
The SEIU trip was organized and managed by a man named Aaron Minter (aka Aaron Black). While protesters slept in an open field that week, Aaron was put up in a Tampa hotel room. We had a running joke that he was the 1% of the 99%.
Many of the protesters on the Tampa trip were expecting the buses to swing by the Democratic Convention on the way back to New York, but since the buses were sponsored by SEIU (who were supporting Obama) there was really no plan to protest there. Upon learning this, the Occupiers revolted against Aaron Minter, and he was forced to re-route one bus to the DNC. However, Mr. Minter further betrayed Occupy principles at the Democratic Convention when he got on CNN and falsely claimed, “A lot of our people are not interested in protesting Obama.”
This caused a bit of an internal firestorm, and fueled the rumors that Aaron had ulterior motives. At the New York Trinity Church Occupy encampment the next morning, there were a lot of boos when Aaron’s democratic leanings were discussed. No transportation back to NYC was provided to the DNC protesters either, and many were left stranded.
Aaron Minter is part of a small ring of well-connected people who repeatedly exploit the Occupy movement to promote events for partisan political purposes. He meets regularly with White House officials to plan astroturf events like "Occupy the NRA." He also has an office in Washington DC, at H street & 7th, and well-respected Occupiers have informed me he collaborates with the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).
Aaron Minter, has a history of arrests for menacing, and one for burglary the day after 9/11, at a closed store two blocks from Ground Zero. He was also arrested in April 2012 for "vandalizing" more than 20 subway stations throughout New York City with Occupy-themed stickers and flyers. Police were able to nab him for that publicity stunt because Aaron foolishly invited the NY1 cable television station along to film it. He was charged with criminal mischief (a felony) as well as making graffiti, and possession of graffiti instruments, both misdemeanors. Aaron was sentenced to 10 days at Rikers Island jail.
These actions shed a negative light on Occupiers and the movement itself, in the minds of the public. If anything, this information should call into question his abilities and motives as an organizer for the Occupy community. Aaron Minter also uses a fictitious last name (Aaron Black), perhaps to throw off any curious individuals looking into his past. I would assume that there are folks like Aaron all across the United States who have infiltrated Occupy groups and subverted them.
| I would also assume that there are more organizations taking advantage of activist networks other than just the SEIU. Take, for instance, the Koch Brothers, who have manipulated the Tea Party movement into celebrating a political hack like Sarah Palin. I urge all participants of grassroots political groups to keep on the lookout for these types of organizations and individuals. If you expose them, you can ensure the survival and prosperity of the movement you've worked hard to build. See also: http://www.brendanhunt.com/1/post/2013/08/occupy-con-artist-appears-on-foxs-hannity-show.html http://www.brendanhunt.com/1/post/2013/08/exposing-the-occupy-money-cooperative-and-the-subversion-of-a-movement.html |  Aaron Minter (Aaron Black) |
