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David Martosko

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David Martosko is a lobbyist and spokesperson for Rick Berman on various front groups, most notably the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF).

Contents

CCF & Berman & Co.

CCF is an industry-funded organization and front group for the restaurant, alcohol, tobacco and other industries. It is a non-profit organization and tax exempt under the IRS code 501(c)(3). Over 40% of the group's 2005 expenditure was paid to Rick Berman's PR company, Berman & Co. for "management services". [1]

Anti-activist campaigns

CCF provides virtually no referencing, yet their statements are circulated by other industry groups, animal breeders and brokers, news wires and even some media outlets. CCF does not link back to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), nor any sites of groups or individuals purportedly being "exposed." Richard Berman and CCF clients have included Phillip Morris, Monsanto, Tyson Foods and Coca Cola. Tyson is also a major supplier of restaurant chains, including Kentucky Fried Chicken [2] and McDonalds. [3] Monsanto contracts product toxicity testing on animals out to Huntingdon Life Sciences. [4] All of these corporations, as well as Phillip Morris, contract laboratory Covance Laboratories, have been subjects of campaigns and investigations by PETA and/or other groups. See also Richard Berman cares about animals: clients exposed.

Media

An April of 2004 episode of the Showtime network television show Penn and Teller: Bullshit! was heavily critical of PETA. The program featured the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (CDFE) and David Martosko as a "consumer advocate". See also Penn and Teller & Conservatives target the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Quotable

In January of 2006, Martosko was asked, in the context of CCF's campaign dismissing concerns about mercury concentration in seafood, whether they received funding from the seafood industry, from coal companies or utilities:

"Well, I know that we never accepted money from utilities or coal companies. I don't know exactly which companies in the food sector support us. You know, it's not my job to know. I really don't pay attention. I do know that the vast majority of our, say, institutional funding, comes from the food sector. Beyond that, I just don't know," he said. [5]

Articles & sources

Sourcewatch articles

References

  1. ↑ The Center for Consumer Freedom, Form 990, 2005, p.3.
  2. ↑ Tortured by Tyson, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, accessed June 2009
  3. ↑ Steve Hannaford Oligopoly profile: Tyson Foods, Oligopoly Watch, updated September 2007
  4. ↑ Inside Customers, SHAC.net, accessed December 2009
  5. ↑ Bruce Gellerman, "Mercury in Fish: Casting Caution to the Wind?", Living on Earth, January 13, 2006

External articles

Articles and Testimony by Martosko

General Articles

External resources

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