GOP Fund-Raising Tactic Questioned

W A S H I N G T O N, May 2 -- If "Hope Bailey," "Linda Johnson" or "Kansas Murray" calls, be prepared to make some space on your award shelf and get out your checkbook — but know what you're getting into.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is charged with maintaining Republican control of the House, has a complex new telephone fund-raising pitch that some targeted callers say is dishonest and deceptive.

The scenario, as recounted by several people who have gotten the calls, plays out like this:

A pleasant voice from a group called the Business Advisory Council telephones. "Hope," "Linda", "Kansas" (or another pseudonym-protected person), leaves a message on an answering machine or voice mail: It says that Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the NRCC's chair, has selected the recipient for the National Leadership Award. Just call a 1-800 number to claim your prize.

When phoning the 1-800 number, the caller soon finds "Hope," "Linda" or "Kansas" unavailable but someone else is always willing to take the call. It's an NRCC rep — who doesn't identify himself or himself as such.

The award lure is repeated, and the caller told that Davis has also selected him or her to serve on the Business Advisory Council.

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Next, a taped recording is played, and Davis congratulates the caller for being "a key business leader in your community", inviting them to participate in "high-level" discussions about country's future and the importance of small business in America.

When the tape concludes, a second, new NRCC rep, also unidentified but sometimes described as "an aide to Congressman Davis" gets on the line and pushes the pitch to a close.

At some point in the conversation, the second, unidentified representative, explains they will need a one-time donation of between $300-$500, usually for their "media campaign" or, most often, to list the caller's name in a Wall Street Journal ad intended to congratulate the winners on their award and to show continuing support for small business.